Never Let Go
by StellasProdigy
Summary: *TEMP HIATUS * A drunken one night stands leads to a baby that is given up for adoption. With the death of her mother, Alexandria uncovers the truth and world she never knew of. Being thrust into the world of magic Alexandria is placed in the middle of a war and not only must she protect herself, but also her heart.
1. Prologue

**Just want to give a heads up that is the first story I have ever felt the confidence to publish on this site. I've been reading fanfics for two years now, and have been writing dozens of fanfics (and even a few originals), but I've finally gathered the courage to post one of my own. I have to say, it feels good to now have the balls to say ****_Hey! I don't give a flying monkey's ass whether or not you like my story! I'm posting it anyway!_**** So yeah…anyway, excuse any grammatical errors. I know they piss me off when reading so I will try my best to limit them.**

**I would also like to add, so that there is no confusion or incest going on, in this timeline, Narcissa Malfoy and Dorea Potter were never Blacks. They're from two other very old and pureblood family.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own or possess any rights to Harry Potter or any of the characters affiliated. Sadly, J.K. Rowling does. Had I did have a say in what happened, there would have been some major changes!**

_Prologue_

_Angry shouts could be heard in the usually quiet home. Neighbors looked to their spouses with judgmental looks as the voices of the usually calm and happily married couple continued to rise._

_A small girl hid out of sight on the stairs listening to her parents raised voices. It had been happening more and more often. In fact, ever since she found an old letter in her mommy's drawer addressing a 'Cissy'. She didn't mean to make her parents yell at each other, she just wanted to know who this 'Cissy' person was._

_ "…__behind my back!" A deep baritone voice shouted._

_ "__No I didn't! I just didn't tell you! I don't have to tell you everything that goes on in my life, Ted!"_

_ "__I'm not saying that you do, but when you're talking to one of the people who helped get you burned from your parents tapestry, then yes, I have a problem with it!"_

_ "__For the last time, IT WASN'T HER FAULT! I never told her I was seeing anyone, so when she saw us together she didn't know I wanted to keep us a secret!"_

_It was quiet for a little while. Only the pants of exhaustion and deep breaths could be heard. The small girl whose hair was currently a deep blue looked hopefully towards the kitchen, but her face soon fell once more when she heard the volume pick up again._

_ "__You were that ashamed of us?" her father's voice sounded so hurt. It made her heart break a little more. Then she heard her mother sigh._

_ "__Of course not…I just wasn't ready then…but I chose you eventually. I stood up for you—for us when my parents questioned us. I chose you!"_

_ "__Exactly! You chose me! You chose me after your family kicked you to the curb and your BEST FRIEND said nothing. Yet you're talking to her again? How could you be so stupid?!"_

_ "__STUPID?! I'M STUPID?!" She heard her mother's angry footsteps come closer and the little girl ran back upstairs but stood at the top of the flight and watched as her mother angrily grabbed her coat and left the house. Her father tried to apologize and nervously called after her in the night, but her mother never returned that night._

_~.~_

_ "__You were out all night," a tired voice recalled, scaring the nervous woman who came back in the house. Her hair was a fright of dark curls, her makeup was smudged, she reeked pf alcohol, and the top few buttons of her dress were buttoned wrong. It was easy to tell what she had been up to the previous night._

_She opened her mouth to say something, but her words caught in her throat. She knew nothing she could say could ever make up for what she drunkenly did. Her throat tightened and a river of tears burst through her eyelids. Her knee gave out but her husband caught her and sank to the floor with her._

_His eyes burned with tears and his heart broke a little. He'd never imagined that they would ever get this bad. He brushed her soft curls with his hands and rubbed her back. He ignored the stench of sweat, sex, and another man's cologne, but it was no easy feat. He looked his Andy, and he knew she would never intentionally hurt him. Had it not been for what he called her last night she would have never left the house. He closed his eyes and pulled away from her._

_ "__How about a bath?" He asked, looking at her the way he did when she first met him. Her eyes twinkled the way they did the first time she saw him and she smiled shyly. The look of guilt didn't leave her face, but she followed upstairs to their room._

_~.~_

_ "__What am I going to do?"_

_ "__What do you want to do?"_

_ "__I…I don't want to kill it…her…but…"_

_ "__Then it's settled, we'll keep her."_

_ "__You really don't have a problem raising another man's child?"_

_ "…__Yes. I do. Very much so. But I love you and I love Dora…and I'd never ask you to get rid of a baby."_

_~.~_

_Screams of agony could be heard all throughout the hospital. The pregnancy hadn't been an easy one like it had been with her little Nymphadora. She had horrible morning sickness for a couple fo months, her cholesterol was through the roof, really strange cravings, horridly swollen ankles, and she had been bed ridden for the last two months of the pregnancy. And what made it all worse…is that her little angel could even be hear… it had been her and Ted's decision to send Dora to his mother's house using the excuse that mommy was really sick._

_As much of a front Ted put up, it wasn't hard to see that this pregnancy was as painful for him as it was for her. He so desperately wanted it to be his child she was swollen with, but he couldn't rid himself of the voice that taunted him that it was another man's child. But the worst part of it all, was that today was Dora's seventh birthday and he couldn't even be with his princess because he was here. Andromeda couldn't ignore it anymore._

_She sucked in all her tears and the biggest breath she could before giving one last very painful push. The sound of a small cry almost gave relief to Andy, but she couldn't allow herself to completely relax yet. She had one more thing to do. She steeled herself and her nerves to do the one thing she really didn't want to do._

_As soon as the young doctor went to hand her the baby she shook her head no. Ted looked at her confused._

_ "__Andy…"_

_ "__No Ted. As much as you pretend to be okay with this, I know you're not. I don't want to see the baby or hold her…because I know that if I do…I'll never be able to give her up. I know that once I looks into those beautiful eyes, I'll want to keep her forever and never let her go…and I can't do that to you."_

_The young nurse had tears in her eyes as she heard the whispered and tear-clogged conversation. She looked down at the tiny bundle of pink in her arms and knew that the woman was right. This baby was absolutely gorgeous. She didn't even want to give her to the child's parents. Caramel skin and hazel eyes covered the precious child. Dark wispy curls decorated the little girl's scalp. The nurse looked back up at the couple with tears flowing down her face._

_ "__Would you like me to go get the adoption forms?"_

_~.~_

_A tall willowy woman stared out at her child, watching as her dark curls flew behind her. Today she was Superman, her currently favorite super hero. Her hazel eyes sparkled in the sunlight. Her caramel skin glowed under the attention of the sun. Alexandria was a beauty. Thank goodness she wasn't into boys yet, when that day comes, she will be beating them away with a stick._

_It wasn't always easy for the young woman, being a single mother and all, but she knew that once that little angel had been placed in her arms, she couldn't let go… just like her biological mother said. _

_Mila knew her daughter was special, but she held a fear that one day that couple would come back and realize their mistake and come to take Alexandria away from her. She would do everything in her power to make sure that that would _never_ happen._


	2. Chapter 1

**I want to set a few things straight before I continue on with the story and I RECOMMEND READING THIS BEFORE CONTINUING ON:**

**I have a changed the timeline a bit and a few details of the original story. This story will pick up at the summer before sixth year for the Harry Potter gang. Sirius Black has **_**not **_**died, he was just critically injured—but Lucius Malfoy did go to prison. Narcissa Malfoy defected almost immediately after this and goes to Dumbledore for help. Narcissa and Draco are both under the Order's protection so Draco is never given the dark mark and he is never given the task by Lord Voldemort.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters affiliated with it. All rights are reserved for J. K. Rowling. Alexandria is one of my OCs.**

**Okay, continue on…**

_The room was dark and was unusually threatening…thundered roared outside the old pane of the window and a branch beat against angrily. Lightening lit up the sky at odd intervals making the atmosphere even more daunting than it already was._

_ The creek of the old floorboards alerted me that someone was coming, I already knew who it was…it was always the same man…it was always _him_. He had been acting strangely for a while and had been making me nervous. The long, hard, and intense looks made chills run down my spine._

_ "Little Andy come out, come out wherever you are," he taunted in a disgustingly sweet way. He was going to find me here, in this ratty old closet. It was very small and I barely was able to squeeze in but my balance was slowing leaving and I knew the second my foot move, the floorboard would creek again._

_ He was going to find me. He always finds me. _

_ Without meaning to a small sob pushed it's way through my mouth before I could stop it. Throwing my hands over my mouth only made more noise since my arms bumped into a shoe box that had been precariously balancing on a tower of shoeboxes. _

_ A heard a rumble of deep throated laughter and slow, but deliberate feet coming closer to the door. A large shadow cast over the small gap between the closet doors and the carpet floor._

_ He was getting closer…and closer…I could hear his breath…closer…almost there…_

I gasped as I jumped up out my nightmare. I sighed as I took a few big gulps of the familiar disinfectant air trying to calm myself. The nightmare had been recurring more and more often, ever since I got here, really.

The lights were annoyingly bright and the air was tinged with different medicines and vaccines. The pale floors and teal patterned furniture made the room look even more dull, almost depressing. The steady drip of a medication and slow but steady heartbeat brought my attention back to the woman I loved most. My mother.

She lay in that horrid bed, still and straight, like always. She usually doesn't wake so late, but she the doctor's said she's been regressing. Her cancer has come back full forces and no more amount of chemo therapy is going to save her. The only thing we could do is have hope…but I knew it was almost time for her to go. It was easy to see that my mother had already come to peace with her soon departure.

Tears quickly made their way to my eye ducts, I could feel them building up and getting ready to make their way down my face, but I refused to let them fall—I refuse to admit defeat! A part of me knew she wasn't going to make, but another part me, and I don't know how strong that part is, is sitting in the corner with her fingers in her ears chanting 'La la la la la la, not gonna happen, la la la la la'.

My throat began to clog up and I quickly cleared my throat. I knew it would only make it more stressful on my mom for her to see me like this. I rarely cried or was unhappy as a child and it seems like these past few weeks have been making up for all my missed temper tantrums and emotional breakdowns. I have cried more in these last few weeks than in my entire childhood. These tears had been due for a long while now.

"Baby…" a hoarse voice broke through my thoughts. My head snapped in the direction of my mother whose eyes looked at me concerned. That soft, motherly smile of hers was firmly on her face as it had been all week. It got softer and softer the more she wore it.

I hated that smile. I knew what it meant and I wasn't ready. I don't think I will ever be ready.

"Andy…come here…" she coughed and I quickly ran to her bed side. I gave her the small cup of water and helped her tip her head so that she could drink from it before placing it back down.

"Ma, you know you're not supposed to be straining yourself. The doctor said to take it easy," is sighed gently helping her lay back down. Her once vibrant mahogany hair was now brittle and lifeless. Her skin was a sickly pale-green and her face was scary thin. It hurt to look at her this way. It was nothing like the way I always remembered her as.

She smiled that smile again before whispering, "Andy baby, you're so beautiful." She's told me this so many times in my life that it hardly fazed me anymore. My lip quirked up a little, but quickly fell back down when she began wheezing and coughing again. I reached back over to give her some more water but she waved my hand away.

"Mom," I started, but stopped when she gave me that look. You know, the look your mom gives you when she's about half a second away from strangling you. Even as sick as she was that look still made my heart skip a beat in fear.

"Alexandria, listen to me. It's time—" I began shaking my head before she even finished but she kept on talking anyway, "I know you don't want to face it, but mommy has to go. I don't want to leave you either, I don't want to let you go…but I have to. It's almost time."

"Then why are you letting go? Huh? You're giving up, what happened to never giving up?" I asked angrily, not feeling the tears cascade down my cheeks. She reached a thin hand over to my face and gently wiped them away. I closed my eyes, realizing that this would be the last time I would ever feel my mother wiping away my tears—my unhappiness. This will be the last time she will comfort me and make me feel warm and loved.

"Baby," she sighed heartbreakingly, "Sometimes we just have to let go and hope that there will be something waiting for us at the bottom that will catch us. I've already let go, but I'm still here because of you. You're holding me here—our love is still holding me here, Andy. I need for you to let go. I will always love you. From here to everywhere, remember?"

I know she's trying to comfort me but it only makes me angrier. I couldn't speak any longer because my throat had already closed up. I squeezed my eyes together as tight as I could to avoid that guilty and sad look in my mother's pale blue eyes. I couldn't let go. I would never let go. She would just have to deal with it. She would just have to fight a little hard…she would just—the sound of a steady flat line made my eyes jerk open.

I shook my head slowly as I frantically searched for a pulse on my mother. I gripped her hands, then her face, and screamed for her to wake up. But she didn't. I barely registered the pitiful looks the nurses and doctors threw my way as they too looked for a heartbeat but came up empty-handed.

~.~

I don't remember how I got home. I zoned out after the doctor read the time of death aloud. Everything felt numb. I didn't feel anything…the only person on this earth who cared about me, took the time to know and love me, was now gone, like she had never even been here. Had it not been for the dozens of pictures on the walls or the light lingering smell of her perfume in her room I would've sworn that I made her up.

I sat down on her bed and looked around the room. It was so tidy and organized so unlike my room. I kept it messy enough for me to still find my stuff, but clean enough for my mom not to tell me to clean it up. I got under her comforter and bed sheets and snuggled up in her pillows, trying to soak myself in whatever lingering smells I could get. I breathed in deep breaths of her shampoo and body wash before succumbing to heavy sobs and hiccups.

I woke up, sometime in the middle of night, preparing to call out to my mother to tell her about this awful dream I had, before realizing that it wasn't a dream at all. The next thing I knew a red haze came over me. All I could feel was this blinding rage and burst of…something coming from me.

I threw the covers from around me, tossing them onto the floor. I tore the pillows off the bed and flung them across the room, not caring where they landed. Once the bed was stripped and summoned all of my strength and pushed the mattresses from the frame until the bed area was completely trashed.

I sort of remember screaming and yelling at the picture littering her walls of the two of us, but not daring to touch them. The lights in the house began to flicker sporadically, but I didn't pay it any attention. I stormed over to her closet, her sacred closet that she never let me ever go in, and through the sliding doors open, almost taking one off of its hinges. Not caring what I grabbed I threw it out of the closet and into the mess that was already on the floor.

The occasional paper or sweater I would rip and throw carelessly onto the floor. I didn't notice the screeching of the teapot downstairs or the running water in all the bathrooms or even shaking of the house until a large suitcase fell from the top shelf of my mother's closet.

The heavy leather suitcase clunked loudly on the floor nearly bringing me out of my rage. I went to rip it open when I noticed a large lock on it. It was a strange lock with weird symbols, but I picked up the heaviest piece of metal I could find and tried to break the clock. Nothing worked.

Something strange built up inside of me and before I knew what was happening a bright light flashed through the room. I had finally come out of my daze to realize that the lock was broken—well, nearly obliterated—and I had destroyed my mother room. Not ready to deal with the reality of the room I returned back to the suitcase. Opening it laid maybe a hundred cream letters with red stamps on it addressed to an Alexandria...Black? The details of the very fancy parchment barely took my notice before I read the contents of the letter inside.

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

_Head master: Albus Dumbledore (Order or Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

_ Dear Ms. Black_

_ We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry—_

I stopped reading the joke of a letter when I heard a loud _pop_ and then a knock on my front door. I cautiously stood up to go answer it. I was confused. First, why would my mother have a trunk full of letters addressed to an Alexandria Black? Second, what _the hell_ is a _Hogwarts_? And third, what kind of joke is this?

I opened the door to find three people in weird clothes, robes to be exact. One man who looked to be pushing ninety with a really long white beard and twinkling blue eyes that peered over his spectacles. Next to him was a tall elderly woman who looked just as old, her gray hair pushed back into a tight bun at the bottom of her head and had a strict look placed on her face. It looked permanent. The man beside her had a hook nose and a sneer on his lips that curled up further as he peered into my house. His black hair hung lank around his face from excessive greasiness.

"Can I help you?" I asked hoarsely as a result of all the yelling and screaming. My voice still had a few tears and I knew my appearance was a appalling but I really didn't care at the moment.

"Alexandria Black, I presume?" The gray haired man asked looking down at me. I stiffened wondering how this man knew that name and why he assumed it was me.

Narrowing my eyes, "No," I said curtly. "Who are you?" My manners left when my mother did. I knew if she'd been here she would have pinched my arm scolded me until my ear bled.

"My apologies, I am Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of—"

"—Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?" I finished monotonously and looked at this man incredulously. His eyes twinkled and he smiled happily at me.

"Ah so you've heard of me?"

I snorted. "No but I read your name on this letter I found a minute ago. I thought it was some joke, but it didn't make sense since there was nearly a hundred letters hidden away from me to see. I don't understand what's going on or why you're at my door. Or who the other two people are."

"Hm. Well I would be happy to explain everything to you if you would allow us in."

"Uh huh, not gonna happen. I still don't know you are. Just 'cause you know that name on some piece of paper don't mean—"

This time the greasy-haired man interrupted me, "You're a witch."


	3. Chapter 2

**Hey guys…sorry I haven't been on and updating any chapters in a month or so… scool's been pretty hectic. Actually it still is and I have SATs to study for but inspiration struck today.**

**Imagine me, stuck home from school after a state of emergency snow storm was issued reading a fanfiction story when all of a sudden I start thinking about AB. I had just really had the sudden urge to right a chapter! If that isn't a sign then I don't know what is. Well let me not bore you with the details… **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters affiliated with it. All rights are reserved for J. K. Rowling. Alexandria Black belongs to me.**

**Okay, continue on…**

**p.s. if you see any typos just be a dear and ignore them for me, I can assure you that I am not illiterate. I just do not have a Beta and this is my first story. So cut me some slack, thanks!**

**Now you can continue…**

My mind went blank before my rage returned full force. I didn't care who or how old this man was, he was not just going to disrespect me. The look of offense and the tell-tale sign of me about to explode must have been easy to read on my face because before I could go off on him he rolled his eyes and put up his hand to cut me off.

"Not in the context that you are assuming. I meant a witch, as in a female who possesses magical abilities, a wizard of the female variety." The man with greasy black hair clarified in his monotonic voice with a slight sneer on his slips and a single brow raised. I couldn't help but bristle at his arrogance. It seemed to be coming off of him in waves. I don't how they handle things over their in England or what his status is, but that shit isn't going to fly over here in America.

I snorted. "As if I'm going to believe that bull—"but I was cut off my the stern looking woman who cleared her throat and gave me a pointed look. She was right. Manners, I had to remind myself. I took in another deep breath to calm myself and exhaled. "Look, I don't know you people think you're fooling, but I'm dumb, nor am I naïve enough to believe whatever you're…"

I trailed off as the older man with the long white beard pulled a stick from underneath his robes and waved it in the air. I tensed at first, not knowing what he was about to do, but then I noticed the something out of the corner of my eye.

It was my furniture. The furniture I had sat and slept and ate on for my entire life…just floating about the house as if it were the most natural thing. I turned back around towards the adults unable to say anything. The greasy bat looked as bored as ever, the woman still looked stern, and the old man…well his eyes were freaking twinkling—though I am not sure how!

"May we come in now?" Twinkles asked gently with proud beam about his face. The furniture went back to its normal spots, on the ground, the way gravity preferred and I only moved to the side to allow them in.

What else was I supposed to do? Tell them no again? It's not as if they couldn't just float me out of the way themselves! I won't lie and say that I am completely sold on this whole _magic _thing, but I will say I am impressed. I haven't met many people who can shock me into silence. Besides, a part of me kind of hopes that this all isn't sometime of farce and that I might really be a witch. The young girl in me that loved to listen to made up stories my mother told me about realms with dragons and magic.

~.~

My jaw was sore form the amount of times it dropped as Dumbledore explained about the magic world and Hogwarts. He even gave me a little background on who exactly I'm supposedly related to in the Wizarding World.

Apparently the Blacks have quite he reputation there in the Wizarding World. According to McGonagall the Blacks are one the oldest wizarding families in Britain. She briefly explained to me the history 'my family' has linked to the Dark Arts, but reassured me that not all of them were a bunch a screw ups. Ironically, the only ones who were worth getting to know was the one was imprisoned for twelve years and the one burned off her family's tapestry. After having her explain what a tapestry was I took note of Snape's face.

Snape's face twisted up more into an ugly scowl as Dumbledore spoke about a Sirius Black. Snape doesn't seem to be a very personable person who has many friends, but even I can tell when there's a bad history between two people.

"Alexandria, I know this is a lot to take in sweetheart, but I'm going to need you to believe and trust us."

That got a response out of me.

"Believe you? Ha! There's really not much I can do about that. Between my inner child craving this magical world and seeing the futon flying fruitlessly, you nearly have me sold. But trust you?! The way I see it is that there's a psycho on the loose in your world who believes he's the new Adolf Hitler, you have a famous wizarding school that houses nearly a thousand students yearly yet for the past, what? _Five_ years something has went wrong and your students are put in danger particularly three of them. And let's not forget to mention that one of your kind gave me up like yesterday's trash. So tell me why, exactly, should I trust you?"

"We understand how you feel—"

I chuckled humorlessly, cutting Dumbledore off. By this point, Snape had had enough of my attitude.

"Do you honestly believe that you are the only who has lost a mother or father that they loved dearly? Or that you're the first child to ever have a rough life? Please. You're not even the first child to have been lied to majority of your life only to find out that you truly belong to a magical world and will have to be thrust into it without knowing really anything about it. We already have a child like that in our world and you two, unsurprisingly, both hold the candle for possessing the ability to annoy me to no end." Snape ranted quickly and fluidly in his English accent that dripped with distain.

I looked at him with slightly genuine concern and cooed, "Were you not hugged enough as a child?"

His face quickly turned a dark shade of red and looked like he was ready to bite my head off when McGonagall quickly interrupted.

"We don't have time for this. We need to get the child somewhere safe before You-Know-Who discover the child. I am still befuddled as to how we had not discovered your whereabouts until today. The birth of every magical child is recorded in a very large book. Hogwarts' magic is connected to the book, which is why you received that letter in your hands and all the others previously. But we still would have been alerted when you came of age." McGonagall seemed to be in deep thought. Clearly she was not one for being out of the loop.

"I am unsure of that as well Minerva. I do not sense a glamour charm or any wards on this house that would prevent your discovery." Dumbledore chimed in. The only reason I haven't said anything yet is because I was still stuck on the part where McGonagall mentioned taking me somewhere safe.

"That is because it wasn't her person that has been hidden, it was her magic. It was her magical energy that we sensed today at dangerous levels and that brought us here. Whoever it was, and I am seriously suspecting the 'mother' at foul play here, was trying to hide her magic from us. The real question is why." Snape grumbled in that bored tone of his that was already growing old.

I stashed away his suspicion of my mother for later. I didn't want to delve into that right now. The memory of her death was still too fresh to dig back up and I could already feeling the slight pressure behind my eyes before I blinked furiously, trying to keep the tears at bay. Instead I decided to focus on what McGonagall said earlier.

"Go where? And what do you mean 'not safe'?" I asked using quotations. Who could be after me?

"If we've learned anything in the past _five_ years is that there is no such thing as being too cautious. Until we figure out who exactly your parents are and who have been using magic to disguise your magic we cannot simply allow you to stay here unprotected. Add in the fact that you recently lost someone very dear in your life, you're a minor, and you are clearly in no emotional state to be left alone be left alone. There is no telling who may come after you. It would be wise if you were to accompany us back to the wizarding world will you will reside during the school year, and during the summer as well, if you so wish." And with that Dumbledore and his companions rose. Dumbledore held out a hand to me, kind smile and twinkly eyes and all.

I remained seated. I didn't know exactly how to react. In only a matter of hours my only best friend and mother had died, I found out that I am a witch, and that I may have my very own personal psycho after me. How exactly was I supposed to react? This all felt too much like some ridiculous poorly written fanfiction.

But in all seriousness, I couldn't deny that fact that I was extremely curious about this Wizarding World. So I decided to do what any teenager from this century who had just been presented the chance to take part in a magical endeavor that has the potential to change the course of time forever. I stood up and grabbed Dumbledore's hand.

The feeling of all my insides being sucked in to my center, stretched and contorted in all different directions, and then deposited back into one piece was disconcerting to say the least. My stomach definitely did not agree with whatever just happened and I was prepared to demand what he did to me when I opened my eyes.

A giant castle stood before me. Words could not describe in words that beauty of it. I had never seen anything like it in New Jersey and the sheer magnificence of it all made me feel a little unworthy to be in its presence. I almost forgot that I wasn't alone until I felt a gentle squeeze on my hand. I looked up at Dumbledore amazed and convinced that I was possible certifiably insane, if not, dreaming the best dream I had ever dreamed. But not even this castle could have simply been something my imagination conjured up on its own.

"Welcome to Hogwarts Ms. Alexandria Black," McGonagall murmured from beside me as she walked back stiff and head held high towards the castle—school.

~.~

If I thought the outside was unbelievable, nothing could have prepared me for the inside. Grand staircases that moved every direction, paintings that moved and smiled, and some that even asked me who I was, adorned the walls. Ghosts flittered about as though it were normal—well, I guess it was here. But I didn't pee a little on myself when one bowed to me and his head almost fell of his neck…I swear I didn't.

The great hall though, saying that it was gorgeous and the epitome of o magic still would not do it justice. The roof seemed to be missing since I could clearly see the dark sky and the stars.

"It is only an illusion, done by magic of course. The ceiling is in fact there. It is enchanted to reflect the sky or anything we so wish it to be," Dumbledore explained like he read my thoughts. He only winked at me when I looked at him peculiarly.

I made a mental note to watch out for that man. He may seem cuddly, be he could be a vicious son of a b—

"Ms. Black? Alexandria? Are you still with me?" Dumbledore pulled me from my inner thoughts.

"Huh? Oh yea. Hey, where did McGonagall and Snappy—I mean Snape, go?" His eyes did that twinkling again when I purposely butchered Snape's name. It wasn't exactly top secret information that neither of us particularly cared very much for the other.

"Minerva went to get the sorting hat. Remember what I told you about it?"

"I have an eidetic memory. I remember everything I have seen, heard, or read. Everything except my birth. That's a really fuzzy memory…" I recalled.

"Really? Well that is fascinating. I hear that it is very rare."

"It is actually. It only occurs in about six percent of children in ages six to ten and usually do not continue on into adulthood," I recited from memory.

"Interesting!" Dumbledore exclaimed. "Now where was I? Oh yes, McGonagall will be shortly with the sorting hat so we can no which dorms we can place you in for the time being. Then we will immediately start you with catching you up in your classes. Minerva, Snape, and I may not be around much as we other matters to attend to, but you are welcome to explore the castle at your leisure." He then looked closer at me over his half-moon spectacles and spoke softer, "I trust that you will use all of the facilities at your disposal with discretion."

I simply raised an eyebrow at him. McGonagall was back before anything more could be said.

"Follow me Ms. Black," McGonagall said as she passed by me making her way towards the stage that held the large table at the back of the great hall. I listened with surprise as the hat not only began talking, but as it actually began to sing. I was surprised that I could still be surprised at this point…and a smidge jealous that the damn hat could carry a tune better than me.

_"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,__  
__But don't judge on what you see,__  
__I'll eat myself if you can find__  
__A smarter hat than me.__  
__You can keep your bowlers black,__  
__Your top hats sleek and tall,__  
__For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat__  
__And I can cap them all._  
_There's nothing hidden in your head__  
__The Sorting Hat can't see,__  
__So try me on and I will tell you__  
__Where you ought to be.__  
__You might belong in Gryffindor,__  
__Where dwell the brave at heart,__  
__Their daring, nerve and chivalry,__  
__Set Gryffindors apart;__  
__You might belong in Hufflepuff__  
__Where they are just and loyal,__  
__Those patient Hufflepuffs are true,__  
__And unafraid of toil;__  
__Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,__  
__If you've a ready mind,__  
__Where those of wit and learning,__  
__Will always find their kind;__  
__Or perhaps in Slytherin,__  
__You'll make your real friends,__  
__Those cunning folk use any means,__  
__To achieve their ends.__  
__So put me on! Don't be afraid!__  
__And don't get in a flap!__  
__You're in safe hands (though I have none)__  
__For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

When we reached the end of the aisle she instructed me to sit on the stool and placed the hat on my head. I didn't realize how big it was until the hat engulfed my entire head, even despite my dark and thick curly hair.

"Hmmm…you've definitely had a crappy life." I snorted. _Tell me about it_, I thought. "Oh I definitely could, but I think that would just waste time, time that could be spent catching your brilliant mind up with all the work you need. Now let me see…Ravenclaw would do wonders for you…but you may have trouble there…great minds won't do so well with the threat you pose to their intelligences…"

I was shocked that he read my mind. _Well, it wouldn't be the first time someone was jealous of my mind, besides, I can handle myself_, I thought to the hat.

"Oh don't I know it. You bravery is almost astounding. You definitely do not have a problem with confronting your problems or standing up for what you belive in…you would do lovely in Gryffindor…but you do not enter situation head on, you like to plan and thinks things through…at least for the most part," he corrected as I thought of a time when I definitely did not think things through.

"I know exactly where I will place you… SLYTHERIN!" The hat shouted. The hall was silent for a moment and only my breaths were heard. I recounted what McGonagall told me about the house and how many of my ancestors descended from this very house. It definitely did not bode well with me that this head thought I was anything like them. Sure I can be a little hot tempered and cunning and mischievous and sneaky…but I am definitely not evil.

I felt the hat being pulled off and McGonagall looked to me with an expression that I wasn't used to seeing on her face, concern—or is that sympathy? Whichever it was it quickly disappeared before I could question it to her and I almost thought I imagined it, but I knew that it was impossible with my condition. I know what I saw. I just stashed that away on things to ask later.

"Let me show you to your dorms Ms. Black. Follow me. It would be in your best interest to remember the way to your dorms if not anything else. There is nothing worse than forgetting where our dorms are and just fruitlessly wandering the halls all night. Some ghosts are the most hospitable, namely Peeves." She muttered to me softly.

I quickly followed after her, making sure to look at my surroundings and count my steps to my dorms. You never know when that will come in handy. After a few minutes we came to stop in front of stone wall. I noted that we were in the dungeons of the castle.

"The password has not yet been set for the next school year so I will allow you to decide what your password to be. Do make sure to remember it," and I did my best to hold back a smirk as she said this, "If you forget it you will be locked out. The password to the common room will also be reset as the school year begins and will change every fortnight. Also, it is posted on the noticeboard. To the right is the stairs to the girls' dormitories, on the left is for the boys. I trust that you will not have any problems remembering which is which."

She turned to walk away from me with the confident gait of her s before stiffly turning back around and looking at me. "Breakfast begins at six and ends at eight. If you miss it then you will have to remain hungry until lunch, which is promptly at twelve. You tutoring instructions will begin immediately after breakfast where a teacher will be there waiting for you."

I just nodded trying to take everything in. My mind was buzzing a million things at the moment and I felt dead on my feet. I'm sure it showed on my face. McGonagall's shoulders relaxed minutely and her eyes softened a little.

"I can not say that I know exactly how you are feeling, nor can I pretend to try, but you are bright girl. Even without knowing your work ethic I can tell you will do great things. Give this world a shot before completely disregarding it. You may find out that there is something here worth holding on to." And then I could've sworn I saw her mouth twitch into a smile.

~.~

I decided on using my mother's name as the temporary password for the dorm. Being the home of snakes I definitely thought it would be colder, but it was surprisingly warmer without feeling moist and icky. The only portrait was hung over the fireplace that burned emerald flames. The silver name plate underneath read "Salazar Slytherin". I recalled that name as one of the founders of Hogwarts.

Most of the walls were made out of glass and you could see straight into the Black Lake. If I wasn't so sleepy I may have been able to make out a mermaid. I barely had time to admire the dark cupboards or the black leather sofas with the Slytherin snake insignia on the front of the arms. I went straight up the stairs on the right and chose the bed nearest the door. Despite today, I couldn't help but look on the bright side: _I've always loved the color green_.


	4. Chapter 3

**Nothing really much to say right now. I'm just sitting at home alone…eating a bowl of cereal at 9:15 pm. I obviously have no life. I'm home on a Saturday night by myself eating a bowl of cereal. What an adventurous person I am! Just kidding, but in all seriousness I've been getting that urge to write all day today and yesterday. I was only able to dutifully ignore because I got caught up in a new fanfic last night.**

**Anyway, I just got finished watching Maleficent…it left me breathless. Not literally, since I am typing a chapter right now, but the movie was amazing. Before that I had never seen a Sleeping Beauty movie or read the fairytale, I only knew the basics. But this movie…blew me away, and it had nothing to do with the plot. The movie was just so tastefully done and left it's imprint on me that I felt that I had to share how really wonderful the movie was.**

**I don't really want to bore you with the details because this is a Harry Potter fanfiction and has nothing to do with that movie, but it is only a suggestion that when you have time to spare, you should really look into seeing the movie. That's all.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters affiliated with it. All rights are reserved for J. K. Rowling. Alexandria Black belongs to me.**

**Now you can continue…**

Learning had never been a challenge to me. Between my memory and my natural ability to grasp new topics easily, school work has never been a hassle. School, on the other hand, was a completely different subject.

Teachers, at first, were simply curious at my sponge-like brain. They poked and prodded ant tested me more than the other the students, but when the scores came back perfect, the novelty wore off. Most students became jealous at my high grades. They thought it was unfair for me to be scored on the same level as them seeing as it was 'easier' for me. What they didn't understand was that my memory did not enhance my intellect; it only allowed me to retain more information. It was my own dedication and motivation to learn that allowed to me understand what I was remembering. Memorizing is one thing, learning is a whole other ballpark.

So the whole friends thing was something I gave up on fairly early on in childhood.

There were a few close calls, though. In kindergarten a boy sat by me during recess every day when the other children would exclude me from their games. We would sit together every day and play out own little games that we made up. But his parents divorced and he moved away.

In the third grade there was a new girl who had just moved to town. She was deaf and only communicated through sign language. This exposure to something vastly different than any other thing that I had experienced previously definitely fascinated me. She wasn't well liked at first. She was made fun of for her differences just like I was. We became fast friends. She would teach me how to sign during lunch and after school on the way home. It was nice having someone to talk to, someone who understood what it was like to be different.

However that relationship didn't last long either. Two years later the immature children that we had grown up with matured slightly—very slightly—and didn't shun us anymore. They simply ignored us. But Daya, that was her name, she was no longer seen as weird or odd, she was seen as this exotic being that people wanted to explore. Other girls began to talk to her and wanted to learn how to sign like her, sign language became something new—a new way to exclude others. The novelty of being popular destroyed our friendship.

By then I had given up on having a friend outside of my mother. She was all I needed, how could I ever ask for more? She loved me and I loved her and it would always be just the two of us. _Until it wasn't_.

"Ms. Black!" The frustrated voice of Snape and the loud thud of thick books making contact with the desk brought me out of my thoughts. My head jerked in his direction and I wasn't at all startled to see a sneer on his lips.

This summer my brain and my body have definitely been put to the test. All of the teachers started me off with a lot of assigned reading. Now don't get me wrong, the library here was amazing and it didn't hurt that I was reading magical texts about everything magical. But it comes to the point that even a book nerd can get to when you just cannot read another word at that moment.

My hands will never be the same from all the essays I had to write and the test that I had to do for all of the core subjects. Astronomy wasn't too hard, but I just wasn't all that interested in it. Charms was a lot more fun and I took a particular liking to it. I got through Charms the fastest. Herbology and History of Magic were two of the ones that I paid the most attention to. You'd never know when you'd need to know how to deal with a screeching Mandrake or to recount a fact from history in a real life situation. Transfiguration wasn't the most difficult, but it definitely took a lot of practice.

After going with Dumbledore to get me a wand from Olivander's I hadn't put the thing down. I looked proudly at my 10 ¼ inch Tasmanian oak and phoenix feather core wand. Apparently the phoenix from which my feather came from was the only feather it shed.

I breezed through the subjects Divination, although I don't put much faith in it, Arithmancy, Study of Ancient Runes, Care of Magical l Creatures, the devil spawns that they were, Muggle Studies, _obviously_, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. The last subject left a strange taste in my mouth and gave me a sense of satisfaction when I was finally done with it. I even was able to do Ghoul Studies, Magical Theory, and a Muggle Music extracurricular activity in my free time. Even flying wasn't so bad once the damn broom listened to me.

I had gotten O's in all of my classes, except for an E in Transfiguration, which put me in NEWT level in all of subjects. The only subject that I was struggling with now was—

"MS. BLACK!" A furious voice shouted. This time I jerked so hard from the sudden intrusion in my thoughts that I gave a quick shout and promptly fell out of my chair. Huffing as I blew some of my curly, dark tendrils from my face and plopping back in my chair I glared at Snape.

"Yes, professor?" I asked through gritted teeth. My fists were balled up, not for the first time this summer, dealing with this infuriating man.

"While your incompetency may have been able to get you through your other courses, it will not do you much help in Potions," he practically spat at me, "You're obvious boredom will not get you anywhere in life, much less my class, and if you think you can just bat your eyelashes at me and use that 'American Charm' that you have used on the other professors then you can—!"

"First off I do not _bat_ my eyelashes, and second of all my charm is something that comes natural, I can't just 'turn it off'. I'm sorry for spacing out, but it is hard, okay? Not everything comes easy for me, you know. I'm not perfect. I think I deserve some credit for catching up to five years' worth of magical schooling in two months! Don't you think?" I snarled back at him. I was hot, annoyed from being cooped up in this castle for two months, and his attitude wasn't doing much to make my mood any better.

"I think—" but Snappy was cut off by someone entering the room.

"I think you are correct. It is an impressive feat to have accomplished what you have in an extremely short amount of time. I also think you deserve a break," the new person declared. Had this been Dumbledore, I probably wouldn't have been shocked, but seeing as it was McGonagall I was more than a little taken aback.

But I didn't question her uncharacteristic change of mood. I hopped down from my stool faster than I thought possible and made my way out of the room, but not before I heard the two professors going at it.

"You cannot just interrupt my teaching instruction because you think Black deserves a 'break'." The sarcasm in Snape's voice was easy to detect. "The rest of you may be blind to her manipulative and arrogant ways but I am not!"

"Oh please, Severus. Even you can't sit here and tell me that you are not the least bit impressed by her intelligence. As bright as Ms. Granger is, I don't think even she might have been able to complete such a feat." McGonagall argued.

"That is because that _Know-it-all_ is too concerned about following _Potter_ and that _Weasley boy_ around."

I wasn't able to hear McGonagall's response because I was already too far away. I quickly shouted the password to the common room and ran up the stairs to change out of my clothes. I didn't expect a magical school to not have air conditioning. I hurriedly changed into a tank and some shorts and a pair of sneakers before throwing my hair into a messy bun. The curls that decided to ignore me stubbornly hung down by my face. Exiting the Slytherin common rooms I came face to face with McGonagall.

"Sorry, I did not mean to frighten you," she apologized. She strangely looked at my choice of outfit before shaking her head to clear her thoughts. "I apologize for not being around much this summer, but the next school year is fast approaching. In less than a week you will officially be attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Normally Dumbledore would take the responsibility of assuring that you are prepared for the next school term, but I took it upon myself to be your mentor instead." She explained as we walked through the corridors and left Hogwarts' grounds. I recognized the place we were as Diagon Alley.

"Now, to begin, you will need some more clothes, for school, casual gatherings, and for formal affairs. I also need to take you to Gringotts Wizarding Bank to get your accounts in order. As a Black you have the rights to a portion of their money. Dumbledore and I are still working on figuring out who your birthparents are, but it is not easy. We have been able to narrow the list down, but the two we do have it narrowed down to have been hard to get in contact with over the summer, understandably."

"Don't worry about stressing yourself over it McGoogly," I noticed the almost unnoticeable twitch in her lips before she cleared her face and gave me a stern look after I used my favorite nickname of hers, "I don't really care if you find my birthparents or not. If they gave me away they obviously didn't want me. If they didn't want em then they sure don't deserve me now."

I ignored the look she gave me out of the corner of her eye before she continued speaking.

"Regardless, it is imperative so that your financial situation is in order and so that you can legally carry that name. Also, Albus was able to pinpoint the reason behind your magic's disguise and discovered that it was a potion. Whoever was behind it had to administer the potion to you once a month and you had to drink it willingly or your magic would not have cooperated. Since the potion has not been administered to you the past couple of months, most of the effects have worn off.

"Any lasting effects on your magic have come from long term usage and there is no telling whether it was fully wear off or if it is permanent." She told me as we stopped in front of Gringotts.

"Well what are the lasting effects?" I asked Please don't take away my magic, I just got it.

She looked at me in sympathy, and this time I was positive since the look didn't quickly erase from her face. She was warming up to me. "Unfortunately I cannot tell you the answer to that either. All I can be sure of is that whatever level your magic is currently at cannot go any lower. But it is possible that your true magical capability is much higher than what you are experiencing."

I just took a moment to take everything she said in. despite the fact that I have been technically in this world for two years and I have five years' worth of knowledge about wizarding world school subjects I still feel very much a stranger to everything. How does one simply blend into a society they have quickly been thrust into.

"Since we are unable to confirm your parentage, gaining access to the Black family vaults will not be impossible, but will definitely cause suspicions. So Albus and I have taken the liberty of converting the money in your muggle bank accounts to wizarding currency in your own vault.. You do understand the currency right?'" She asked after quickly stopping and almost making me bump into her. I quickly nodded before looking up at the Gringotts bank. This magical world will never cease to amaze me.

~.~

After visiting Gringotts—which was fucking fantastic by the way, and first off, let me just commend the goblins on their architectural work and their use of marble—McGonagall allowed me to do my personal shopping alone. She knew best what I would need for school anyway, but personally, I think she just wanted to give me some time alone with my thoughts. After all, she did just give me a crap load to think about in the span of about ten minutes, not to mention the two months' worth of thoughts whirring about in my head that I haven't had the chance to sort through.

Here I am, in the middle of a wizarding store looking for some hair products while other witches and wizards are shopping with friends and family, occasionally throwing me odd glances—that I am pointedly ignoring—and all I could think about was my mother.

_My dead mother._

The woman who had at one time been all I had. The woman who graciously took me in after my parents just discarded me after giving birth to me and loving me with her whole heart. She was now gone.

_There was no funeral._

That amazing woman didn't even get a funeral. She didn't get a sendoff with lots of flowers and balloons and loved ones surrounded her. All she got was a daughter, a stern old witch, and a grumpy professor. It had always—mostly—just been her and I and she would have been happy regardless, but she deserved better than that. I decided to have her cremated and to spread her ashes out the window of the Hogwarts' train.

_She always wanted to see the world._

And this fantastic woman, the woman who has taken me in and loved me and deserved the world was the top suspect of the person who has been drugging me with a potion that suppressed my magic.

For as long as I can remember my mother and I have had monthly smoothie nights. She worked three jobs to pay all of the bills and give me anything I needed, barely having time to herself, so she put aside one day out the moth for just her and I. We would spend the entire day together, home, not doing anything but relaxing and talking. Sometimes we would play board games all day or sometimes we would just cuddle up on the sofa with lots of snacks and fatty foods and watch all types of movies all day long. But always, at the end of the night, she would make this 'Special Smoothie', she'd call it. It always tasted so delicious and would put me right to sleep.

Snape suspects that my mother knew about my magical abilities early on. Magical children can display bouts of magic early if their mood is unbalanced. According to him my 'unbalanced temper' could have created a magical burst and my mother could have sought help because she wanted to rid me of anything that didn't make me normal.

But she was my mother. She wouldn't do this to me. I know she wouldn't. She loved me for me and she would always reassure me this anytime I felt strange or odd or left out from the rest of the world. She would never try to destroy a part of me. She loved me. She'd definitely never seek out help in concerns to me. She hardly ever interacted with other people. The only person she ever let come in close contact with me frequently was—

"I wouldn't recommend that product for you," a feminine voice from beside me jarred me from my thoughts causing me to jump and drop what was ever in my hand. I heard began a stream of apologies as we both bent down to pick up whatever I dropped.

"Oh! I'm sorry! I never meant to startle you. I swear. I just noticed you looking quite deep in thought as yo stared at that potion for hair control and I wanted to let you know that I wouldn't recommend that product. Trust me. I've tried it and it did nothing for my curls, a characteristic that the two of us both share. Well, yours is a lot prettier. And thicker. And—"

I took the time to look at the girl who continued to blush and stumble out her apology. What a rather long winded girl. I bet she has a pair of lungs on her.

_Maybe she can sing_, I pondered.

She was pretty. Really pretty, but not in the way I noticed a lot of the young girls around her. The wizarding world, well let's just say is a lot less advanced than from the world I come from. She had thick riotous curls that seemed to have a mind of their own. They were a cinnamon color, similar to her hazel eyes. She kept her hair shoulder length, and although it could use a good brushing here and there, her hair wasn't a complete catastrophe, despite what she was still currently mumbling about.

She had clear fair tanned skin and adorable freckles on her little button nose. Her lips were small, but plump and pink. Pretty white and straight teeth could be seen as she continued to rant. Her body was stick thin like a lot of the girls here, and although her curves weren't as pronounced as mine, she definitely had a nice hourglass shaped that was hidden beneath her large hoodie and boyfriend jeans.

All in all, had she gone to the school I went to, she would've been a considered a sexy. But from the way she carried herself and blushed and stumbled all while downgrading her appearance gave me the distinct impression that she didn't agree.

"…and you're wearing muggle clothing so you're obviously new around here—"

"Dude, chill!" I shouted. She and the other shoppers and the store looked over at us startled by my outburst. But I couldn't take any more. I stared the other shoppers down until they all looked away before I continued. "It's cool okay, it was an accident," I laughed off. I put the potion back onto the shelf before going to walk away.

"Wait, I'm Hermione," she smiled brightly at me while offering me her hand. I looked warily at her at first. But I decided to shake her hand.

"Alexandria," I told her giving her a small smile. Turning back to leave again she called my name.

"Are you here alone?" she looked to be fidgeting slightly, I wasn't sure if she was looking around nervously out of concern for me or for herself. I tensed up not knowing where this was going to go. My fists unconsciously clenched by my sides when I heard two voices approaching us. Fast. Two male voices.

"'Mione!" they both shouted, one out of relief and the other out of annoyance.

The redhead looked annoyed at the girl who seemed to have transformed right before my eyes. The awkwardly shy and insecure girl who was just in front of me morphed into this fierce kitten as she glared at the redhead, eyes in slits. I couldn't see the other boy clearly. The back of his head was to me, and I stared at the messy and short-haired raven boy.

"Yes, Ronald?" Hermione spat at the redhead.

"You could've told us that you were going to do some girly shopping instead of having us running all around Diagon Alley looking for you. Why are you even in here? This is a girly store," he commented, genuinely looking confused, not at all realizing that he said the very thing that could make any girl explode.

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean Ronald?!" Hermione reared back at the insult and stepped closer shackles rose and claws sharpened. The other friend quickly cut in. This obviously isn't something new between the two.

I took that as my cue to go. I turned around prepared to finally leave. I had been in this shop too long and I didn't get everything I needed for school in a few days. Where is McGonagall?

"Wait, Alexandria!" I heard Hermione call to me. I couldn't help but pout a little before I turned back around to the girl. Slightly afraid from her mood change I was tempted to just keep walking and pretend that I didn't hear her, but I decided that making enemies wasn't the best thing to do. Especially not one who probably grew up in the magical community.

Turning around I expected to make contact with light brown eyes and wild curly hair, but instead I made contact with blazing emerald eyes. A few strands hung down into those beautiful green eyes of his. He had a strong jaw and full lips. His robe was messily open and revealed a white t-shirt that clung to his muscles and cargo shorts that hung low on his hips.

I never wanted to punch a guy in the face so much.

It is no reason for this guy to be this sexy. I know I have been staring for a bit longer than I should have but he wasn't doing any better. He was staring me up and down as well, taking a few seconds longer in some areas and blushing after doing so. It only added to his appeal and when I saw the indentation in his right cheek for a dimple I almost melted into a puddle.

"Alexandria!" I jerked my head up towards Hermione when I realized it wasn't her who had called me. It was McGonagall. "Ms. Black I have been looking all over the place for you." She came to a halt in front of me and the gang of friends I had come across. She looked over to them with not even the slightest bit of surprise.

"Oh, Mr. Potter, Ms. Granger, Mr. Weasley, I see you three have met Ms. Black."

"Miss who?" Green eyes asked. His eyes swiveled between McGonagall and I and his eyes kept lingering on me.

McGonagall raised an eye brow and seemed to take in a deep breath to prep herself for an explosion. "Harry Potter meet Alexandria Black."

Green eyes stared at me face unreadable. And all I could think was, _what have I gotten myself into?_


	5. Chapter 4

**Hey guys, first off let me say thank you for the continuous support you guys have shown me, really, it means a lot. Also, I want to apologize for being away for so long. I just took the SATs earlier today…yeah…so the weather was nice. Just kidding, the weather was as dreary as my feelings were after taking the test. But enough about me.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters associated with the Harry Potter franchise. All rights reserved for J.K. Rowling and all of her magnificence. But Alexandria is all mine (And any other characters I may include—hint, hint).**

**You guys know the procedure…**

I just stared blankly ahead at the chrome tiles beneath the shower head, watching jealously as the droplets of water slip and slide down them without a care in the world. They made contact with the cold tiles alone, by themselves and as they made their long trek down they met and fused with the other droplets, growing larger and splitting various times before dying as they reached the end of the wall and fade into the other thousands of faceless droplets already forgotten. Maybe it has already gone down the drain, it is hard to tell now that they all look alike—ordinary once again.

My thoughts returned back to a few days ago when McGonagall and I went shopping. Returning to the castle McGonagall made good on her promise of picking up the rest of the belongings I would need for my new school year. My life went back to normal, and by normal I mean practicing my potions making technique to get on par with the other hundreds of witches and wizards I will now be living and coming in constant contact with. More specifically three wizards—and one with glowing green eyes.

_"__Harry Potter meet Alexandria Black." _

_Green eyes stared at me face unreadable. And all I could think was, _what have I gotten myself into?

_Well…that and he is seriously gorgeous._

_ "__Black…? As in…" Green eyes stumbled on his words looking quite constipated—or maybe choked up on words to say—I could never really tell the difference between the two._

_I looked at him strangely and then at the other two who shared his look, which consisted of looking oddly at me. I looked back at McGonagall who kept her back stiff and her face straight, not showing even the hint of an emotion on her face. I was tired of the tense atmosphere and just wanted to go back ho—to the castle._

_ "__As in who? The Black family? Then yeah. Pretty crazy, huh?" I laughed shortly without the slightest bit of humor in it. My eyes narrowed unconsciously at the green eyed beauty and his companions. "I just found out a couple months back too, so don't feel too special that you're just finding out about this now, okay?" I went to run around when McGonagall's word registered in my head. I turned around and looked more closely at the three friends who just seemed pretty stumped by my little outburst._

_The redhead had long fiery hair that nearly touched his shoulders and brown eyes. Freckles were scattered across his face sparsely. His lips, thin and a pale pink were twisted up and his eyebrows furrowed on his face in this permanent confused look. He was tall, really tall and lanky. Any muscles that he may have were hidden beneath his big robes. I knew hand me downs when I spotted them. You learn to spot them a mile away when you're from where I am from. My city was home to many poor families who had siblings sharing clothes. It became a commodity in Newark._

_Hermione's hazel eyes literally sparked with curiosity and knowledge. I could see her brain actively connecting the dot and try to connect missing links. Her eyes swept over me quickly but not without detail. She analyzed everything from the color and curls of my hair to the length and size of my legs, taking notice of my small feet. _

_And green eyes looked to be thinking about something else. He didn't seem to be in the moment with the rest of us. He seemed to be miles away. I got the distinct feeling that he was thinking of my "relatives" and trying to place me with a set of parents. Well good luck buddy. McGoogly and Twinkles haven't been able to do it yet, let's see how far you get._

_ "__Potter, Granger, and Weasley," I mumbled to myself quietly, sifting through my thoughts on when I heard those names. It was a fleeting moment when those names came up. It was when they first showed up at my house when they were trying to convince me of my heritage, my magic. "So you're _the _Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ronald Weasley."_

_I noticed the flinch green eyes gave but it didn't really register to me._

_I felt a hand on my shoulder. I didn't know I had been moving closer to the famous trio. I took in a deep breath and calmed myself taking a step back closer to McGonagall. Her grip, though light, held a lot of meaning. I got the message. _

_ "__Mr. Potter, Ms. Granger, Mr. Weasley, Ms. Black and I should be going. Enjoy what is left of your holiday and I look forward to seeing you again at the start of term." McGonagall guided me back towards the castle. _

_A pit formed in my stomach as I looked back at the pair of friends. They each held a different facial expression. Red looked bothered; Hermione confused and slightly annoyed; and green eyes…angry._

_I turned back around with a knot in my throat. A distant stinging sensation I hadn't felt in months tried to bare its head but I drowned it with indifference. I ran a hand through my curls and let out a breath, only focusing on trying to picture the annoyance on the face of Snappy. That's the only thing that can brighten my mood right now._

I snapped out of my thoughts at the sudden slamming of the common room door downstairs. I quickly shut off the shower and got dressed into my uniform. McGonagall got them a size smaller than I was used to buying but she said that all my clothes were enchanted to fit me correctly. In all fairness I did like to wear baggy shirts and jeans one size bigger because I liked how the bottom would drag on the ground and get frayed at the bottom.

I looked into the mirror. No longer fascinated by the enchanted snakes that slithered along the edges of the mirror I focused on my reflection. My eyes looked green in this dark lighting. I put a small chunk of my hair in the front in a makeshift ponytail and let my curls hang loosely. My crisp white buttoned shirt sat nicely against my olive toned skin. I flattened my charcoal skirt once more nervously.

I didn't know why I was nervous per se, theoretically it makes sense for me to be nervous. I'm a transfer to a new school. A fresh face among faces who had already blended and familiarized themselves with other faces that became a part of the crowd, a part of the norm. I blew out a breath and straightened myself up.

"Come on Jhonny," I berated myself quietly. My hoarse voice shocked for a second at how closely it was in pitch with my mother's voice I had grown accustomed to when she got sick again. She rarely called me Johnny. She said it reminded her too much of her father, Jhonathan, pronounced like 'Johnathan', from which she was estranged from. I never met him, but she gave me his namesake to have him with her in some way after he passed when I was three.

I threw on my emerald green tie and an old t-shirt that belonged to my mother's older brother who died in war. It was large on me and was a green and heather gray plaid shirt. I let one shoulder hang off because it was useless to keep dragging it back up. I looked back in the mirror and gave my hair a fluff. I almost forgot about my new look. Dumbledore took me back to my house to say goodbye yesterday.

When he left to give me some time I decided to go around the corner to a hair salon and get something done. It wasn't major and didn't take a lot of time. The ends of my hair were just died a multiple tones of violet. I went back home and grabbed a few belongings that I wanted to keep and waited for Twinkles to return. Dumbledore looked at me strangely when he noticed my new look. He looked at me off on after we returned to Hogwarts as well. I wanted to call him out on it but he looked seriously. Plus he ran off rather quickly after he walked me to my dorm. I don't know what that was about.

I grabbed my bag with my school books and my writing utensils and headed downstairs. I don't know how long I took in the shower but it must have been a while since a two older students were in the common room talking to Professor Snape.

He was still a little sour that I was able to not only complete my Potions' requirements but also get an almost perfect score on them. The three of them turned to me, Snappy with his usual scowl.

"What are you doing here?" The older boy asked me snootily, looking down at me with careful disinterest. I glared at him and didn't say a word. The girl scoffed as I slightly bumped into her shoulder with my head held high.

_So this is what those Slytherins were like_, I thought amused. _Snotty little rich kids_, I laughed internally, _I can so take them._

I walked to the Great Hall. Hopefully the welcome back feast haven't started yet. I'm starving. I haven't eaten since yesterday. I was exhausted when Dumbledore and I returned and spent all day today prepping myself for this moment.

"…the Forbidden Forest is just as its name suggest, forbidden. Any students trying to sneak out and get into mischief out there will be punished…assuming you make it out of there alive," Twinkles chuckled joyfully to himself. The tiny first years, I think that's what they call it here in Europe, looked to be just about crapping their freshly pressed slacks.

I tried to slip inconspicuously to the end of the table but Twinkles spotted me and I caught that mischievous look in his eyes from the other side of the hall. He wouldn't dare.

"I almost forgot, we have a new student this year. She transferred all the way from the states and she is beginning her sixth year. Ms. Black, why don't you come up here and introduce yourself?" he suggested kindly, but the smile on his face twitched with laughter.

He would dare.

I reluctantly walked down the aisle to where Dumbledore and the other professors were. I smiled tightly at him as I reached where he stood and faced the crowd that had gone silent when Twinkles put me on the spot. The sea of eyes taking me in made me ball my fists up anxiously. I don't mind attention when I bring on myself purposely. Dumbledore lightly cleared his throat and I rolled my eyes at his subtlety.

"Hey, I'm Alexandria Black," I waved a little and walked over to where the Slytherins sat. I felt the eyes follow me as I walked to my table. I sat down at the end of the table and looked up to meet everyone's eyes, including my house's. I glared this time, "Never seen a black girl before?" Either the comment about being Black made them nervous or the unintentional growl that slipped out scared them, but whatever the case may be they finally stopped drilling holes into my scalp.

"Let the feast commence," Dumbledore shouted and raised his wand. A plate a food appeared in front of me along with everyone else's. Big roasts and sides and other foods I rather not know the name of appeared on the table. I had never seen such an elaborate spread before. The elves that worked here usually just fed me some dishes I taught them. I got tired of the fancy meals and desperately craved some fried and oily home cooked soul food.

I was about to dig in to my food when felt a tingling sensation. I looked up to meet a pair of icy gray eyes. They were really pale but weirdly seemed to compliment his pale sky and pale blond hair. Put it like this, the boy looked pale. Like freshly fallen snow, angelic like. The only off putting thing about him was the cocky smirk on his face.

"So you're a Black, huh? Who are your parents? You're lucky the Blacks are a pureblood line—"

"Mostly," a dark skinned boy cut in. His dazzling blue eyes might have made me turn into goo had not been already enraptured by some really deep green ones. The pale boy cut him a look of annoyance and continued.

"Mostly pureblood line," he corrected himself, "but the ones who aren't considered pureblood were burned from the tapestry so they don't even count. So what is your status? I'm Malfoy by the way, Draco Malfoy." he nodded his head at me. Everyone at the table looked towards us but didn't dare speak over him. I got the feeling that he was very important. I may have been able to caught had the general aura of prestige hadn't already enveloped my senses.

"Alexandria, and I don't know who my parents are. The bastards gave me away when I was born and didn't give a rat's ass about me. Twink—I mean Dumbledore and Snappy—Snape found me when I nearly trashed my house out of anger." I looked him dead in the eyes. His sterling eyes felt as if they were penetrating me. He startled me when he began to laugh, but I didn't show it on the outside.

The house joined in with him. I don't know what it was about what I said that amused them but whatever it was it stopped when Malfoy stopped.

"You're funny. I think I might actually grow to tolerate you, Black. But you need to get that issue of your parentage sorted it out so I can determine if you're pureblood or not." He looked back down at his food and picked up his utensils to eat when slammed mine down. It caught the attention of the entire house and they looked towards me who was glaring at Malfoy. His buddy elbowed him to look up at me.

"Listen and listen real closely. I don't give two fucks about who my parents are. They could rot for all I care. The only family I had is now dead and gone and how 'pure' my blood is don't mean shit to me. It may to the rest of you ignorant low lives, but it doesn't to me. Now, Malfoy, you seem to be a pretty influential and upstanding guy," I mocked him, "just in case any of your fellow snakes don't catch this, you can repeat it to them, verbatim. That intimidation shit is child's play. If any of you prissy bitches have a problem with me, you can take it up with me directly and we'll iron out an issues we have personally. Got all that, Malfoy?" I raised an eye brow at him and smirked. My fists were balled underneath the table. My nee bounced up and down in nerves, my body already preparing for an attack.

No one said a thing. The other houses noticed our table's silence and quieted down watching Malfoy and I's stare down. A few more beats of silence passed before a deep laugh bellowed. I looked to the left towards Malfoy's friend.

"I like you! I'm Zabini, by the way, but you can call me Blaise, beautiful. I think we're going to get along just fine," he smiled at me friendly. I looked at him closely trying to catch any hidden negative emotions and found none. His smile was open and bright. He had the smile of a model and the face of a Greek God. He patted Malfoy on the back and continued to laugh despite Malfoy's attempts to shake him off in irritation.

My stood up to go to my dorms early, pissed off already. My new term didn't start out the best and if this was going to set the tone for the remainder of the year I was surely headed for a ride. I made halfway to the large doors before I realized that I still hadn't ate and I took my plate—and piled some more yummy looking stuff on it—and then proceeded to leave.

On my way out I locked eyes with eyes the color of grass after a fresh shower of early morning dew. They were observing me. He seemed to be watching my every move an di didn't know if I should be unnerved or flattered. I settled for annoyed and glared at him.

I also decided to be an adult and take the high road by sticking my tongue out at him for good measure. His eyes widened in shock. I saw amusement flash through his eyes and saw his deep red lips twitch at the corners. I raised an eyebrow and turned away to walk out of the room with dignity.

As I made my way to the dorms I couldn't help but smile a little as I strolled. I looked up at the portraits who smiled and waved and couldn't help this overwhelming feeling of…I don't know. I've never felt it before. It felt…right.

~.~

The giggling of the girls getting ready woke me up. The different scents and fragrances made me want to barf and I was two seconds away from bashing one of their heads into their mirrors.

I grudgingly got up and headed towards the showers. The girls quickly shut up when I walked past them but I heard them start chatting again when I closed the bathroom door.

"I heard Malfoy talking to his mates saying that they know who her parents might be. A few years back Malfoy was in his father's office and a named quickly appeared on his family's tapestry before quickly disappearing…" one of the girls whispered.

"Oh, yeah. I bet that convict Sirius Black is her father. The blood traitor chased a lot of tail back in his day, I heard, and he could have a whole bunch of bastards running around. I wouldn't be surprised." Another girl said.

"Please, as sexy as that man is, convict or not, I'd still jump in the sack with him," A different girl giggled. I started the shower after this and tuned them out. Getting dressed I left my hair down and threw back on my uncle's shirt. I've gotten pretty used to do the warm temperatures here and anywhere else in the building just makes me cold. Throwing on one of the new robes McGonagall got me I went to my first class.

"You're late Ms. Black," Snape snapped snippily. I scoffed.

"By five seconds," I retorted. I noticed the class was clearly divided between Slytherins and Gryffindors. There were two available seats, one next to Malfoy and the other next to Green eyes.

"Late is late. Now won't dock points only because this is your first day," he gritted out. I knew his real reasoning was because he wanted his house to win the cup this year and he didn't want to start out in the negatives. "Are you going to stand there all day like an imbecile or are you going to sit down?"

The class looked at me waiting for where I was going to sit. It was no secret that I wasn't buddy-buddy with the Slytherins, but they were my house. I was going to be rooming with them for the next year or two and I already didn't give them that good of an impression on me yesterday. On the other hand, Green eyes is hot. And he's totally eyeing me right, he's not really subtle with either, if he's trying at all. Eh, I sat down next to Malfoy, giving Green eyes a wink as I did it.

His face quickly turned red and he turned away facing the front of the class. I smirked on the outside, but on the inside I was freaking out. I've flirted before, plenty of times, but never with a guy I actually found attractive. Certainly not one as attractive as Green eyes.

Snape turned around towards the board, his rope flapping behind him flawlessly and starting instructions. I was so caught up in my thoughts about Green eyes that I hadn't noticed two pairs of eyes who also caught the exchange.


	6. Chapter 5

**Sorry I've been away for so long. I truly meant to update a lot sooner than this but life doesn't usually work out how you plan it to. This week just put me behind on a lot of things, so I want to apologize for that.**

**The good news is that I have dedicated this weekend to updating my chapters for you. Look forward to seeing at least two chapters the next couple of days. Also…drum roll please…a big reveal for the plot will be coming up very shortly.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly I am not the owner of the Harry Potter series, I am just a poor young girl filled with a lot of writing material desperately trying to get it all out. Alexandria Black is mine though, so keep your grubby paws off of her.**

**And without further ado….**

The first week of magical school wasn't as bad as I had previously thought it might be. Classes were slightly longer that I remembered public schooling to be, but then again, I'm not just learning regular trigonometry and physics. This school is really cool. I mean who wouldn't want to be admitted to a _magic_ school where you got to learn about _magic_ while being able to actually do _magic_? No one, that's who! It's freaking magic!

Besides my studies, though, everything else was pretty boring. McGonagall and Dumbledore all but disappeared on me since the day before school started and neither of them have explained why. I couldn't help but to think that it had something to do with my parents. Why else would they go out their way to avoid me? But then again, if they were so concerned for me, why purposely avoid me and not tell me about any new leads you get in the investigation. Not that I care though. I don't, I really don't.

I slammed into something hard and almost fell when a pair of steel like arms wrapped around my waist. I opened my eyes to be met with the brilliant color green. His eyes were wide with shock and his grip slightly tightened around me. I don't know how long we stood there in that pose before I cleared my throat and stepped away from him. His face quickly turned red and he scratched the back of his messy hair. Boy would I love to be that hand right now.

"Um, sorry about that. I must not have been looking where I was going," Green eyes apologized. I meant to open my mouth to say something snarky back, but for some reason my mouth went dry. I couldn't even open it out of fear that I would make myself look like a complete idiot in front of him. What was wrong with me?

A minute of awkward silence passed before he nodded and opened his mouth again, "I'm Harry. Harry Potter. But you already knew that." I narrowed my eyes at him, wondering if that was his arrogance coming through. But he quickly realized his mistake and widened his eyes before he rushed to correct himself.

"I-I mean, we met. Already. Before, remember in Diagon Alley. It was me you, Ron, Hermione, and McGonagall. You were—"

"I remember Gre-Harry." I quickly corrected myself before I slipped up and revealed my nickname for him. I shifted on my feet and bit my lip, not knowing what else to do. It was really awkward.

Thank god everyone else was at dinner right now.

"Um…so you're really smart and stuff," he stuttered out. His face was an adorable shade of pink. He squeezed his eyes, maybe out of embarrassment. I don't know.

"Thanks. I think. But it really mostly my brain. I can remember everything I've ever heard, seen, or read. It definitely helps, you know," I laughed. He laughed too, and what a sound that was. I wonder other lovely things came from those full lips of his that he was nervously wetting.

"There you are Harry!" a voice from behind us shouted. I recognized it as Hermione's, but I heard another pair of feet with her as well. Green eyes and I both turned to see Hermione and Ron quickly making their way over to us. Only thing is, one of them wasn't so happy to see me.

"Why are you talking to a Slytherin Harry?" The redhead asked in disgust. I glared at him, making him cringe a little.

"My name is Alexandria!" I snapped at him. It was no wonder that Hermione turned into a hell kitten the minute he opened his mouth. Everything that comes tumbling out only lead to disaster.

He laughed humorously, "Oh, I know who you are. Everyone knows who you are. You're that girl who McGonagall, Dumbledore, and Snape found this summer in America. You don't know who your parents are and you're an orphan. But your wicked smart and have a scary temper. I know exactly who you are. The thing is, I don't know what you're doing talking with us. Slytherins and Gryffindors don't mix, haven't you heard?"

"If you knew me as much as you claim you did then you would know that I don't give a rat's ass about that little rivalry your house and my house have," I noticed the flinch that the three gave with the mention of a rat, but I chose to ignore to continue chewing this redhead out, "Maybe if you all grew up you would realize that there are a lot more important things than where you dorm ten months out of the year. And if you know how 'scary' my temper is, you wouldn't want to mess with me."

"See, Harry, she's threatening us already. I told you she was a snake like the rest of them dungeon dwellers!" He shouted victoriously at the inky-haired hottie.

"Oh, please," Hermione snorted as she rolled her eyes and pushed Ron out of the way and stepped in front of me. She turned her back to the boys and looked me in the eye. "You're not like the rest of them, are you? And I don't just mean the Slytherins either." Her eyes sparkled with knowledge. It kind of scared me, to be honest. It felt like she knew all of my secrets.

"I'm a black girl from Newark, New Jersey who has a mean appetite for some fried chicken and collard greens. I'd say I'm not _at all_ like the kids here."

She giggled prettily behind her hands and smiled brightly at me. Green eyes chuckled under his breath too.

"What is it like in the states? I've heard about it and I have a little bit of family there, but I've never been myself."

"It's like any other country with corrupt leaders and even more corrupt non-leaders. Dangerous. Annoying. But definitely never boring." I commented. If there is one thing you can't call America, it's boring.

"What are the people like there? Are they like you?" Green eyes asked this time. I snorted out a laugh and rolled my eyes.

"Actually—" but I was cut off.

"Are you two kidding me right now?! You're seriously befriending a snake?" The fire hydrant was seriously beginning to piss me off. If there is one thing _Chuckie_ taught me is to never trust a redhead.

"Oh, Ronal, knock it off already! Not all snakes are bad, you know," Hermione defended me with her hands firmly perched on her hips. Her hair seemed to come alive when she did. I was right about it seeming to have a mind on its own. But we didn't hear what Chuckie Jr. had to say next because a slow and smooth drawl interrupted us.

_What is with these people and interrupting others' conversations? _ I asked myself.

"Oi, Granger. Keep saying stuff like that and I'd think that the Gryffindor princess had a thing for Slytherins. Not that I'd blame you. The limited choices that you have the Gryffin-dorks leave much to be desired," Malfoy said cockily, sneering Green eyes and Chuckie Jr. up and down. Blaise stood behind him, looking bored as ever. This must not be a new occurrence.

Hermione's head snapped towards Malfoy and Blaise. She glared angrily at the blonde but didn't say anything in retaliation. I could tell some fiery words were just at the tip of her tongue but she didn't let them spill. She turned her head snootily towards her friends, blocking their view of her face from them. But not before I noticed the miniscule rose-colored spots appearing on her cheeks. She was blushing.

Chuckie Jr. seemed to stiffen and bawl his up and sneer nastily at Malfoy and his Italian companion. But Green eyes took on a look I hadn't seen on his face before. His back quickly went ramrod straight and his hands twitched towards his upper left arm, where I am guessing he kept his wand. The look on his face would make me shit my pants had I been on the receiving end of it, but Malfoy and his buddy stood nonchalantly in front of the trio, further confirming my suspicions of the frequent run-ins with the two groups.

No one said anything for a while and things went from tense to awkward and uncomfortable. For me, anyway.

"Well, as lovely as this interaction seems to be, I think I'm just going to—"

"What were you doing talking to the Potty and Weaslebee anyway?" I didn't escape my attention that Malfoy left out a degrading nickname for Hermione either.

"I bumped into—wait a minute! I don't have to explain myself to you! I could have sworn we already had a discussion about this, Malfoy," I glared at him. He rolled his slate-colored eyes and shrugged his arms.

"Doesn't matter. A Slytherin is a Slytherin, despite what they may think. And your message was loud clear, but who you fraternize with reflect on all of us," he reiterate to me, staring me deeply in the eyes. Maybe it was just me, but I got the feeling that he wasn't talking about the trio beside us.

"Shut up Malfoy. We don't fraternize with snakes, no matter how hot they are," the redhead butted in once again. "So take your Slyther-whore back to her dungeons and—"

"SHUT UP RON!" Green eyes roared at his best friend, eyes blazing like the fires in our dorms. Everyone this time looked at Green eyes in shock. Me, because I have never heard him raise his voice above a normal tone, and the other because this obviously wasn't a regular occurrence.

"I've had enough of your constant complaining since school begin about Alexandria dn you've gone too far tonight. Now apologize."

When Ron gained his bearings he immediately pouted and looked cross at me before stubbornly saying, "I won't apologize for what I said to _her_."

A laugh beside brought me back to the pretty Italian. Is eyes lit up with mirth. "You have got to be kidding me! I always knew Weasel had a thing for Potter, but to go so far as to be jealous, ha! And you, Potter I'd never thought I'd see the day! Ha! She's completely out of your league Potter. You wouldn't stand the chance with a woman like Alexandria."

Blaise continued to crack up at the situation, but all I could do was glare angrily at him. I was surprised Malfoy held his tongue and didn't say anything. When I looked at Green eyes I almost wanted to burst in tears myself. Almost. His head was turned down and his shoulders were hunched. It made even more furious with Blaise. I don't like bullies.

"And you think that you do?" I asked Blaise who quickly sobered up. He looked between my fuming eyes and everyone else. His buddy only shrugged as if to say that he was on his own with this one.

"Well, yeah. I have more of a chance than Potter. I mean come on. He made be the 'Chosen One' and all, but who would seriously pick him over someone like me?" AS cocky a front Blaise put up, his eyes held the truth. I could see the insecurity blooming in Blaise now. It didn't making me feel any better about the situation, but it did not stop me from laying into him.

"For your information I have seen a lot better than you," which wasn't a lie. It might have been had I not seen Green eyes and Malfoy. Green eyes both had them beat by a long run, but Malfoy was a close second with Blaise if I were into blondes. "Trust me, you aren't nearly as attractive as you think you are. And you are nowhere near as attractive as you think others think you are. Get over yourself. No one likes a bully." I shrugged. Bullying pisses me off, I definitely don't stand for that shit or watching it happen.

He chuckled nervously and went to say something when Malfoy put a hand up stopping him from digging himself an even deeper hole. "Let's go Blaise. Dinner is definitely over by now and really rather not get caught by Filch being out past curfew."

Wordlessly Blaise followed. I ignored the marginally apologetic look in Blaise's eyes and look pointedly at Green eyes.

"Don't you ever let anybody else tell you that you aren't good enough. Nobody." I told him looking him in his beautiful eyes. Something flashed behind them quickly before I could understand what it was.

I turned and walked back to my dorm without looking back.

~.~

_I was in the closet again. Like I always was. It always began like this. Every. Single. Time. He always came and played his mind games with me before tortuously opening the door but never fully opening it. _

_But this time something was different._

_The dream never fully played out. I usually panicked myself into waking up at this point before waking up gasping and drenched in sweat. But for some reason it was different. I was still frightened out of my mind, but I wasn't that little girl with two braids hiding bunched up in her night gown on the freezing wooden floor of her closet._

_I stood beside her in the closet as an observer. Just watching as the door slowly eased open. The heart-wrenching look of absolute horror on her—my—face was devastating, but I remained calm._

"_There's my favorite girl," the slimy voice that so often haunted my dreams said. He quickly yanked her—me—from the closet before slamming it behind her, narrowly missing her small feet._

_I watched as she looked towards her locked door with the butterflies on it and she waited for her mother to come bursting through the door to save her. But it remained closed. And all she saw was the really pretty butterflies. They were so pretty and dainty and innocent. She begged her mom for them, but she said no. But he got them for her. He smiled as he watched her face light up. Now he calls her his 'Little Butterfly'. _

"_Why do you like to hide from daddy? Daddy only want to play with his Little Butterfly." I watched as she cringed from the stench of alcohol. I can still remember the taste of bile rising up in my throat from the disgusting odor. _

"_Please," she whimpered. She often did. Many times when he got like this. He would usually pass out before he made it upstairs, but today was different. Something was different._

_He just smiled sickly at her, running his hands gently on her increasingly wet cheeks. He cooed to her, murmuring to her not to be afraid. I can still recall the heat from his breath from him being so close._

_I began to shake. I knew that it only got worse from this point on out. I wanted to wake up. I didn't want to see any more of this. I know what happens. Please. Wake up. Please. I don't want to see this. Please. Please. Please._

I woke up to someone shaking me hardly and it made me scream. The hands quickly let go before I burst into tears. I knew, I really did, that Randy was gone. He could never hurt me again. I knew it. I really did. But it didn't stop the fear or the nightmares.

"Hey, are you okay?" I looked up to see a pair of uncharacteristically concerned pale eyes. His blonde hair was messed up and it made me smile a little. He didn't look so perfect.

I sniffled before hurriedly wiping my face of all evidence of my nightmare. I knew I wouldn't get any more sleep tonight. I shrugged at him, not knowing what to say. He only sat beside me on the common room sofa. I must have fell asleep here. I'm just glad no one else came out.

"You have those too, huh?" he asked softly. He shook his head. "Of course you do, I should have seen it right away. From the way you carry yourself to the way you speak." His eyes looked off into the fire, haunted.

I stared at Malfoy for what seemed to be the first time. I didn't notice the depth of his icy eyes. His face was finally erased of all sneers and smirks. He was relaxed. It was almost strange to see him this way. But I much rather liked this one than the other Malfoy. I could stand this one. I could like this one.

"Why?" I asked, wondering why he was down here, why he was attempting to comfort me, just why. He looked at me, face going blank of any previous openness. He shrugged before lifting himself up.

"You're not the only one with secrets Black. All of us have some, especially us Slytherins. We're not all bad." He turned to wake up the stairs to his dorms. "Oh, and next time you decide to have a nightmare, please do it in your room so that I don't have to hear your horrible screeching."

I rolled my eyes at him. His playfulness not annoying for once.

~.~

Snappy wanted a four foot long paper on this exotic flower that only blooms once every couple of decades. Now I didn't have a problem with researching, as limited as the research is, and I definitely didn't have a problem with reading or this fuck awesome library that Hogwarts has. But for an assignment that requires a lot of looking up, these huge tombs weren't promising. I sighed frustrated and ran my hand through my hair.

"Do you need some help?" a rich voice asked. My body unconsciously tensed and then relaxed at the familiar voice. My eyes connected with eyes the color of leaves on the first day of summer. They were so bright and full of promise. And the rest of him wasn't too bad either.

I chuckled before blowing a curl out of my face. I decided to leave it down for the day. "I could most definitely use some help? What books did you use for Snape's assignment?"

He laughed throatily, "I didn't do it yet, sorry. I usually wait for the last minute for those types of things." He ran a hand through his hair before stretching his arms out. I noticed that his hair was wet and his face was flushed. That's when I looked down at what he was wearing. His quidditch pants were tight around his things and hugged his body so perfectly you'd think they were made just for him. And his quidditch jersey, although it was drenched in sweat, I couldn't help how it clung to his chest and outlined the muscles of his stomach and arms.

Is it wrong that I kind of want to bite him right now? Is that weird?

"Just getting back from practice?" I asked. Did my voice really sound that breathy? By the way his eyes darkened to a forest green and how his eyes roamed my face I'd take that as a yes. He came around the table to sit beside me.

"Yeah," he said breathlessly as well.

"Was it good?"

"Yeah, and hard," he instantly blushed when he realized what he said. I bit my lip to keep me from saying something that would make him blush even further. As gorgeous as he was, he didn't seem to have much confidence in himself and I didn't want to embarrass him further. Isn't it funny how that works?

"So why are you here if not for Snape's essay?" I wondered curiously. If he just got back from practice, wouldn't it make more sense to shower and hang out with his friends?

"Uh, I-I was looking for you, uh, actually. Er, I w-wanted to ask you a question." He stammered out. He seemed to take a few deep breaths to collect himself before beginning again. "There's a Hogsmeade trip tomorrow, and uh, I know it's pretty last minute—okay, it's really last minute, but uh, if you w-weren't busy, maybe—maybe we could—"

I decided to put him out of his misery by simply saying, "I'd love to go out with you Gre-Harry."

It took him a couple seconds to realize what I said and he stopped his stammering proposal. He looked wide-eyed at my response. For a second I thought that I thought wrong. Maybe he wasn't asking me out. Maybe he just was telling me just in case I wanted to know. Maybe it was supposed to be a 'friends' sort of thing.

"R-really?! I mean, yeah, okay," he cleared his throat before chuckling at himself. "Wow, I am not smooth at all."

This time I laughed with him. "Yeah, you're not. But I think it's cute you get so flustered by me. I'm glad you're not one of the types to know he's hot. That's a huge turnoff Green eyes."

"Green eyes? And hot?!" he smirked at me. I could see the teasing light in his eyes. This time I blush.

"Uh, yeah. Sorry. I call you that in my head, you know 'cuz you have green eyes. And yeah, you're pretty…hot." I shrugged trying to play it off, but I could feel the heat rushing to my cheeks and I looked down at my incomplete essay.

I felt rather than saw him move a little closer. "You-You think I'm…hot?" When I looked up I noticed how close we were. My eyes flickered down to his lips and then back up to his eyes only to notice that he was staring at mine. I licked my lips unconsciously and I saw his eyes darken again.

He fidgeted a little before coming a little closer, leaning his heads towards mine, but he paused a few centimeters from my lips. I could feel his cool breath on my face. His breath tickled and teased me and I couldn't take it anymore.

_I took what was mine_.

I gripped the back of his neck and slammed his lips down on mine. He seemed shock for a second before he moves his lips against mine. I forgot about where we were and it was just him and I. He tasted like chocolate and it made me moan. The sound of my moan triggered something in him and I felt one of his hands reach up to tangle in my hair and the other to rest on my hip and he took control.

Not before lone I felt the slight pressure of his tongue moving across my bottom lip. Teasing him I quickly shut my lips and I heard him growl. Damn if it wasn't sexy as hell. I gripped his hair tighter and I felt his hands rubbed deep circles into my hip. I was just about to give up and open my mouth when I felt his bite down on my lip. I gasped and I felt his tongue quickly enter my mouth.

We fought for dominance with our tongues before he quickly gave up when he felt my hands trail down his stomach. He moaned aloud this time and quickly backed away for some air. Truth be told, had he not backed up when he did, things may have gotten a lot more heated. And you wouldn't be seeing me complaining.

All that could be heard between us was heaving pants and breathing. When we finally got our breath back we smiled shyly at one another. No words needed to be said. It was a mutual understanding between the two of us.

_He was mine and I was his. I dare someone to say different._


	7. Chapter 6

**SORRY! I know I promised when I updated last time to do better with my updating, and I am sorry that I didn't update the two chapters like I said I was. This last week has just been so…UGGGHHH! But I am not going to sit here and whine to you about my problems because you mostly likely do not care. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters affiliated with it. All rights are reserved for J. K. Rowling. Alexandria Black is mine. *hiss possessively while cradling Alexandria to my chest***

"**Read on dearies…" *Rumpelstiltskin Voice (for all of my OUAT fans)***

Green eyes and I spent hours just talking after our little moment before. He loosened up the more we talked and I surprised myself with how comfortable I was around him. He talked a lot about Ron and Hermione. He even surprised me with the fact that Hermione was his best friends instead of Chuckie.

"Really? I would've thought that you'd pick Chu—Ronald over Hermione for the best friend position," I said voicing my thoughts.

He sighed, "If you'd asked me a couple of years ago I would've said Ron too. But it took me a while to see that there's only been one person who has always stood by me no matter what. That there has only been one person who has actually encouraged me to do my best and has never seen me as 'The Chosen One' or 'The Boy Who Lived'. It's always been Hermione."

A lesser girl would've been jealous of the way he talked about Hermione. The way he thought so highly of her or put her on a pedestal but not me. I know that she is his best friend. If anything I admire the way that he looks up to her. I'm glad that he's given her the credit she deserves and I am glad that there has been one person to always have his back. Without Hermione who knows how Green eyes might have turned out. I don't know what it's like to have a best friend. I did, for a while, but I can't really count Daya in the best friend department, she wouldn't be in any category that Hermione is in.

"I think it's sweet you think so highly of her," I commented. He blushed of course.

"I can't really help it, you know? Hermione's the best," he pinched his eyes and winced, "I'm sorry—Am I supposed to say that in front of a girl I like?" he asked me. He looked a little panicked to have admitted that to me, but I quickly reassured him that it was no big deal.

"Seriously, it's cool. Don't worry. I'm not jealous or anything. I know what you and Hermione have is special and I would never try to come in between that."

"Really? You don't see it as some sort of competition between the two of you to be my number one girl, or anything?" He looked doubtful at me. He must have noticed the look on my face. "Not that there is any competition. I didn't mean to offend you. It's just I sort of had to deal with someone who thought that. It was really weird. I mean, she sort of grew up with us and I thought she and Hermione was sort of friends. But she freaked out whenever Hermione and I were ever alone together. But the last straw for her was when she found Hermione and I asleep on the couch in the living room. It was really embarrassing the way she acted."

"Look, I'm not gonna lie and say that if I were her and I found my boyfriend snuggled up with another woman on the couch I wouldn't have a fit, 'cuz I totally would, but it's you and Hermione. You and she have a sort of special bond and I would be an idiot to ask you to ever choose between the two of us. I most likely would not like the answer. Besides, only dumbass wouldn't be able to see that the relationship you guys have is more like siblings than anything else."

"Exactly! That's exactly what it feels like between the two us," he jumped a little in his seat, excited that someone was finally seeing things the way he did. "No one ever understands that Hermione and I have a lot in common. We're both only children, neither of us were ever popular or had any friends. We both know what it's like to live in the muggle world and were sort of swept up in this life. No one ever gets that we're family to each other."

"Yeah, no, I get it. I mean I can't exactly relate to it or anything, but I definitely see where you're coming from," I fingered the corner of my long-forgotten essay. There was a long silence between the two us. It wasn't awkward though, it was comfortable. There wasn't any need for any of us to fill it.

His fingers were long and his nails were kept short and well-groomed. His hand was bare of any scars or marks or hair. It was really nice looking, which I find sort of shocking on a male. I reached over and grabbed his hand, turning it over and over, just looking at it. I've never seen such attractive hands on a guy before. It was strange. My thumb swept across his inner-wrist and I felt his pulse. His pulse raced beneath my thumb and only increased as my thumb unconsciously drew circles over it.

"You were a surprise," I heard his voice whisper to me and I turned to face him. His eyes didn't meet mine but were instead entranced by the movement of my finger on his wrist. "I don't think anyone expected you, how could they you know? It's not just the fact that you're a new student either. There is something different about you—something refreshing. I feel as though you are going to change things, but I just haven't figured out if that is a good thing or a bad thing. And I am not sure which I prefer."

When his eyes finally met mine I was enraptured by the depth of them and the intensity. His eyes held me captured by the sheer strength they seemed to hold. They pierced through me straight into my soul. I'd never had this connection with anyone before and it was as frustrating as it was addicting.

"The library will be closing in five minutes," shouted a stern voice breaking our contact. I fidgeted as I quickly packed up my books and essay. He stood up and ran a hand through his already messy hair, messing his hair up further. We stood in front of each other, not knowing what to say.

"So, uh, I'll see you tomorrow?" he asked sounding every bit unsure and insecure as he did when he first came in. I was a little disheartened because I felt like all the progress we had just made was just erased.

"Yes, we're still on for tomorrow, if you want to be," I smiled teasingly adjusting my bag on my shoulder. The corner of his mouth turned up a little and I saw that little dimple of his make an appearance once again.

"I still want to go out with you. Um, I guess I'll meet you in front of the great Hall—unless you would prefer me to meet you in front of the entrance to the Slytherin dorms," he stuttered as we walked together outside of the library.

I raised an eyebrow at him, "And how would you know where the Slytherin dorms are, hm? Aren't they supposed to be a secret to the other houses?"

He only smirked at being caught, "Let's just say that I had to take things in my own hands a few years ago and I may or may not know what the Slytherin common room looks like."

I laughed at the sudden burst of confidence that he was displaying. "So I'm going on a date with a bad boy tomorrow, is that what you're telling me?"

He blushed this time making me laugh harder, "I wouldn't call myself a bad boy per se…"

"Don't worry Green eyes, I think it's kinda…hot," and I turned on my heel to walk to the Slytherin dorms. I turned my head around to see him standing there a little dazed, but not dazed enough to not watch as I walked away. He blushed again when I caught him staring and gave a short wave before walking in the opposite direction.

I chuckled to myself. I'd never seen anyone blush as much as Green eyes before. Maybe I should change his name from Green eyes to Red cheeks. But it doesn't sound as catchy.

~.~

I skipped breakfast this morning having been too nervous to eat anything. My side of the girls' dorm was a mess due to frantic searching for an outfit. Breakfast will be over in less than an hour and I have no idea what I am going to wear.

I huffed and pouted a little before realizing that I was acting like one of the girls I would tease in those teen comedy movies.

"Come on Jhonny, it's just Green eyes. He already likes you so there's really no need to impress him. Just pick something and throw it on," I chastised myself imaging my mother's voice.

I grabbed a pair of ripped, light skinny jeans and a thin, long sleeve white shirt. My favorite timberland boots peaked out from beneath my bed and I thought why not. I was satisfied with the outfit, it was casual and looked like I just threw it together, but I knew that these jeans made them look painted on and my shirt scooped down just enough to hint at my assets without giving anything away.

I walked to the shower with a little bounce in my step. I knew I was gonna have Green eyes drooling today and blushing up a storm. I washed my hair with my mother's favorite brand of shampoo that smelled like strawberries. It was running low and I made a little note to myself to see if I could buy another while I am out today. I doubt that have the muggle brand in Hogsmeade, but maybe they'll have something similar there.

After washing and drying thoroughly I put on my clothes. McGonagall taught me the spell the get out the wrinkles in my clothes thankfully and I put them on. I did my hair last. I didn't trust magic when it came to my hair. My hair is sort of sacred to me and I only trust two other people with it: my mother who used to brush it and plait it every night, and my beautician, Catalina. So I did my hair the muggle way, towel dry and some good old-fashioned brushing. After getting all the tangles out of my hair I brushed it all into a large messy bun on the top of my head.

I checked the mirror once more to look at myself before grabbing the plum colored robe that McGonagall got for me and headed out. People began to filter into the common room from breakfast to get ready. I went to the kitchenette to make a cup of coffee before leaving out. I needed something in my stomach or I wasn't going to be pleasant to Green eyes during our date.

"Ugh, can you believe her? She thinks she's so cool when she's clearly not," I heard one of the girls in my year whisper to her friends from behind me. I turned around so that my back was not facing them but I pretended to not have heard them. I wasn't blind to my house's dislike for me, particularly the girls, but I really don't give two flying f—

"I know right. I don't know why the boys in our year think she's attractive. That nest she call hair is almost as bad as Mudblood Granger's and she could definitely use some Slick and Slim potion." Another girl giggled. I couldn't help but to roll my eyes at them. What was this, the 90's? Who wants to be stick thin anymore?

"How about you guys say it to my face instead of whispering behind my back? I know this isn't Gryffindor but it doesn't mean you have to be a bunch of punks either. How about you guys grow some balls and confront me?" I snapped fed up with their bull. I stirred the creamer and sugar into my coffee cup lazily as I gazed at them with contempt.

Only one seemed to snap out of their stupor and replied, "How's this for confrontation? You and your American accent and style don't belong here. I don't know why that stupid hat put you here in the first place. You're nothing but a mutt. You don't know who your parents are because they didn't want you, you don't have any friends because no one likes you, and—"

She paused at the sound of my slurping from my cup. The damn coffee burnt me but man did it taste good. I held one finger up to her and looked down at my cup appreciatively. I can make a mean cup of coffee. I poured some more in my cup and sipped at it some more before motioning for her to continue. She looked affronted at my nonchalance.

"Why are you even here? You clearly don't belong here? I think I stand for everyone when I say that you need to pack your bags and run back to whatever hovel you came from and never return."

"Well there's a reason you don't think too often," a voice form the silenced crowd spoke out. A girl with a slightly-puggish nose stepped up. Her inky black here was chopped just to her shoulders and hung down pin straight. Her eyes were a pale blue and she had her lips outlined in a dark purple color. She walked lazily up to girl who was, apparently, the spokesperson for the house, and calmly brushed the girls here to the side, exposing her neck.

"P-Pansy, I don't understand—" the girl stuttered.

"That's not really a surprise Margaret Mimsy. You aren't known in Slytherin for understanding much or doing any thinking, so how about you shut your trap before you start talking about what this house wants." Pansy gave the Margaret and her friends a stink eye, making them shrink back out of fear, and she sauntered up to me.

The other house members kept quite as she walked up to me and stood in front of me. She's no Malfoy, but these people do have some respect for her.

"Now look, I'm not usually the type to defend anybody—" A snicker from Malfoy made her narrow her eyes at him before finishing, "—as I was saying I'm not one to defend anybody, but Black was picked to be a Slytherin for a reason. She clearly has the balls," she looked at me and smirked for my wording, "to stick it out here when none of us like her, and that says a lot. So what she's American, I bet she'd kick most of our arses in here _without_ her wand."

I shrugged not confirming or denying her claim. I finished the rest of my coffee and punched off the counter before wrapping my robe around me.

"Thanks for the pep talk and everything, but I don't need anyone to come to my rescue. I can fight my own battles. But she's right. Your opinions of me don't mean a damn thing to me. You guys clearly didn't get the memo when I said that if you have a problem with me say it to my face. Keep testing me and watch where it gets you. Now, if you'll excuse me," the crowd that formed parted as I walked to the door.

I felt someone grab by arm as I left the common room and I reacted instinctively. I transferred my weight to my other side and grabbed that hand with my other arm before throwing whoever it was over my head and to the floor.

"Oomph!" Disheveled blonde hair lay on the floor beside my boots.

"Malfoy?"

"Nice to see you too Black," he said sarcastically as he nimbly got up and brushed himself off. "You could have simply told me to release you instead of throwing me into the air."

"You surprised me. I didn't know who it was touching me, just that someone was. Besides, after what just happened in there, how am I supposed to know that one of them chicks wasn't about to do something stupid like attacking me?" I crossed my arms and looked at him. He finally readjusted his clothes and swept his hand through his hair restoring it to its usual excellence.

"They're stupid, but not that stupid. I didn't know they scared you," he smirked at me. I let out a guffaw and rolled my eyes at him before walking towards the Great Hall. "You're right, stupid comment. The big and bad Alexandria Black isn't afraid of anyone." He caught up to me.

I just rolled my eyes not even dignifying him with a response.

"Where are you going so dressed up anyway? Someone actually had the courage to approach 'The Great Alexandria' and ask her on a date to Hogsmeade?"

"Someone did actually. Jealous?" I turned to smirk at him. He snorted.

"Not at all. You're gorgeous and all, but you're not my type." He picked at some imaginary lint on his robes. I noticed that he was slightly dressed up as well, but then again, Malfoy did always find a way to look immaculate.

"Why? Is it because I'm American or is it because I'm black?"

"Neither. Why would either of those things matter? It's not like you could help either of those things or change them. The place someone is born and the color of their skin means absolutely nothing—" he came to a halt in his speech and in his movement realizing where I was headed with this. He glared at me with no real heat behind it and I looked at him innocently.

"Watch yourself Black. Everyone here knows that you're not blood crazy but no one is stupid enough to face you. But that doesn't mean that these walls don't have ears and quills don't speak. Be careful about what you say and who you say it to," his face was carefully blank and his voice held a practiced monotone, but his eyes held everything I needed to know. He was warning me.

Neither of us said anything after that but we finished our walk to the Great Hall. Green eyes' back was to me and he was pacing nervously in front of the entrance.

"Please don't tell me you got all dressed up for Potter," Malfoy hissed to me quickly. I elbowed him in his side to tell him to behave.

"Ready Green eyes?" I asked and watched as he turned around to face me. His face quickly lit up before he realized who I was standing next to.

"Malfoy." he gritted out.

"Potter."

I watched as the two had some sort of staring contest and blew out a breath of annoyance.

"This happens all the time," a voice beside me whispered and it startled me enough to make me give a small scream. I looked to my right to see Hermione standing there annoyed as much as she was amused. "They've been like this since there first year. They get under each other's skin," she sighed. But I couldn't detect why she sighed.

"Green eyes," I called trying to bring him out of the glaring contest but it didn't work, so I pinched Malfoy. He jumped and turned and batted my hand away, but didn't look away. "Why don't the two of you just kiss each other already?!"

That made them look away from each other and turn towards me. I heard a small giggle from Hermione. They looked in disgust at what I just said but I only shrugged.

"If I didn't know that Green eyes had a thing for me I'd sworn you two had some feelings for each other."

Green eyes couldn't decide between blushing at me and smiling apologetically or glaring disdainfully at his nemesis. Malfoy looked bored as usual, but his eyes held a little mischief in them.

"Trust me Black, the day I find Potter remotely attractive is the day I kiss Granger," he nodded his towards Hermione and her face turned red.

"Trust me _Malfoy_," Hermione sneered his name as if it were a curse, "I wouldn't let you come anywhere near me, let alone my lips. I'm allergic to Ferrets," she spat at him and marched towards the entrance doors to where the carriages for Hogsmeade waited.

Malfoy sputtered angrily and ran after her shouting insults on the way. I rolled my eyes at the two. You could just feel the sexual tension between them.

"So," Green eyes cleared his throat, "you look…" he swallowed as his eyes made their way down my body slowly and even slower back up. "…nice." I snorted.

"Nice?" I pretended to be insulted. His eyes widened quickly, panicked at my tone.

"I-I mean you l-look really—" but when he heard me laughing he caught on. "Funny. For a moment there you actually had me freaking out that I really offended you. You look amazing."

Despite the heat I felt beneath my cheeks and the bright smile I could feel on my face, I couldn't help but to roll my eyes and playfully say, "Nah. I know I look good." He laughed with me and grabbed my hand.

"Is this okay?" he asked, gesturing to our hands. I intertwined our fingers.

"More than okay." And we walked to the carriages before he helped me into one. Hermione and Malfoy were still arguing but neither I, nor Green eyes paid them any attention. There were only us in that moment. He squeezed me hand a little and I kissed his cheek. I had high hopes for this date.

My mind wasn't going a mile a minute about who my estranged parents were or the fact that McGonagall and Dumbledore were avoiding me, or even my mother's death. Green eyes had a way of making that all disappear.


	8. Chapter 7

**So here's the next chapter of AB and I was wondering if you guys have any comments or suggestions. As you know this is my first fanfic so let me know what you guys think. Besides typos, which I will fix when this is all done, let me know what you guys might want to see in the upcoming chapters, I make actually consider putting it in the story.**

**As a write I have a million other story ideas in my head but I'd feel like a jerk if I start working on them and leave you guys hanging, so I'm going to put them off to the side and give this one all my attention.**

**Disclaimer: My name's not J.K. Rowling and I do not own Harry Potter or any characters affiliated with the franchise or series. Alexandria Black, however, is all mine.**

"Let me get this straight, you battled a giant snake when you were twelve and a dragon when you were fourteen, and you're still alive? Not to mention the fact that when you were twelve you faced that moldy shorts fellow, well, part of him?"

"I didn't do it all alone you know. I wasn't nearly smart enough to uncover all of those mysteries without 'Mione and Ron. They helped out too."

"Still, it's pretty freaking unbelievable. My life hasn't been nearly as exciting. The most exciting thing I've done was break into an abandoned ice cream truck with some neighborhood kids…"

"Eh, that doesn't sound that bad. I wouldn't exactly put time traveling and riding on the back of a hippogriff to help Sirius escape being executed something _fun_ or _exciting_." He shrugged nonchalantly while sipping from his butter beer. He was relaxed and sat back in his chair as if what he said was the most normal thing ever. Even for wizards that doesn't sound like the norm.

"No way! You have to be making all of this up!"

"You honestly believe that I can come up with something this crazy? If I wanted to impress you don't you think I would have come up with something remotely believable?"

"Okay, so what you're telling me is that when you, Hermione, and Ron were thirteen, you went back in time to save a giant bird-lion-thing?"

"A hippogriff and yes. Don't forget that we also helped to rescue. Sirius," he laughed looking down at his butter beer.

"Ah, right. How could I forget the infamous Sirius Black." My lips unconsciously turned upward mockingly and I said that with more bitter than I intended to. I felt his green eyes on me but I didn't look up. I felt him lean in closer.

"You do know he was innocent, right? I mean, Sirius would never—"

"I could care less about the fact that he may or may not have killed thirteen people. Don't worry, Twinkles set the story straight about Sirius to me almost immediately after he told me that he and I were related, much to the derision of Snape." I snorted. I finished eating what Green eyes and I ordered earlier. I didn't trust myself to order anything since I only understood half the things on the menu, so I let him order for me.

I heard his sigh. "I honestly don't believe that Sirius would give you up. He was really happy to find me again and he loves being my Godfather. He and Remus loved the idea of children—well, me, Ron, Hermione, and the Weasleys anyway."

I rolled my eyes. "I really don't want to talk about it," I snapped, effectively ending the previous conversation. I didn't like where it was going. I heard him sigh again and look around awkwardly. I probably just ruined the entire date and scared him off with my stupid attitude but I really didn't want to get into this conversation. Him bringing all of this up would've eventually made me snapped, and he would not have liked anything I was going to say about his Godfather.

"I'm sorry," he said after a few tense minutes. "I didn't mean to bring all of this up for you. I can't really imagine what it must be like for you. At least for me I knew who my parents were when I got thrown into all of this mess. Please tell me I didn't just ruin all my chances with you," he winced looking apologetically at me. I couldn't help but to roll my eyes.

"Please, you can't get rid of me that easily." I reached across the table to grab his hand.

"Ugh, please go get a room," a voice interrupted us. We both looked to the side to see platinum blonde hair and a sneer.

"Don't you have anything better to do with your life Malfoy? Like, I don't know, terrorizing children?" Was it just me, or is Green eyes really hot when he's being sarcastic?

I cut Malfoy off before he could say anything back. The last thing I needed was Green eyes and Malfoy starting their little eyes rating thing again. "Did you need something Malfoy?"

"Not really, it was Blaise that was looking for you," he said pointing behind him at his Italian friend who I was pointedly ignoring previously. He's tried to make amends with me after that whole debacle a few days ago in the hallway. He seemed sorry enough, but he pissed me off, and I could hold a grudge like nobody's business.

I scoffed at him, "Don't you see that I'm busy here ignoring you?"

"Look, I'm sorry, okay? I'm not the usual type to pick on anybody or anything. I usually save that for Draco and his followers, besides, Draco does it all the time and you don't say anything to him!" He pouted and crossed his arms looking to Malfoy jealously. Malfoy wasn't even paying any attention. He was too busy using my spoon to fix a non-existent hair out of place.

"That's because I wouldn't even call what Malfoy and Harry do as bullying. They give each other as much as they can and get the same back. Plus, it looks more like foreplay to me anyway," I whispered the last part, but not quietly enough. Green eyes poked me in the side, making me squirm a little, and Malfoy glared at me.

"I really wish you would stop saying that, especially so loud and out in the open. People talk." Malfoy humphed before going back to his hair.

"Can you just accept my apology? There really wasn't any heat behind my words, okay? It was all in good fun and I didn't mean to upset you. Like I said, I could really see us becoming good friends and I meant that." He used the puppy dog eyes on me and I had to look away because he actually was pretty good at them.

"It's not me you have to apologize to, Zabini." I looked at Green eyes who looked at me strangely.

"Sorry Potter. You know me, I don't really think before I speak. It's just that Black is hot, and you know, kinda scary," he said that last part lower to Green eyes, "I didn't think you'd be each other's type. I actually thought you had a thing for Weaslette—heck! Everyone did. Shocked the hell out of Slytherin when everyone saw you two sitting in here today." Zabini laughed, throwing an arm around Green eyes as if they had been friends for a long time.

Green eyes laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head, "It's cool, I guess. It shocked me that she said yes too." I kicked Green eyes under the table for that degrading comment of his. He hissed and grabbed his leg narrowing his eyes at me. "What was that for?"

"What did I say about putting yourself down like that? Every time I hear you talk down about yourself I'm going to hit you." I scolded him. If I wasn't going to let anybody else insult him, he sure as hell wasn't going to do it to himself.

"I didn't know you was a masochist Potter," Zabini smirked at him, making Green eyes look at him questioniongly. Malfoy didn't even know what that was. Maybe it was a muggle thing. Speaking of…

"How do you know what a masochist is Zabini, aren't you a pureblood?"

"Please," he scoffed, "Just because the rest of my house is blood crazy doesn't mean all of us is. And my mother is a bit…friendly with a lot of people, mostly men. Don't think she hasn't dabbled in the muggles. She enjoy them most of all."

"Friends?" Malfoy butted in, "Is that what she's calling them now?" Malfoy chortled. Zabini elbowed him in the side making Malfoy cough and stop laughing. "Sorry mate, but your mom doesn't haven't 'friends', she has lovers."

"Whatever mate, just stop talking about my mom," Zabini shrugged.

"Okay," I dragged the word out, "Are you two done or can I go back to my date now?"

Blaise and Malfoy looked back over at Green eyes and I before realizing that we were still here. They only shrugged unabashedly and walked away to a table with a few other Slytherins that looked to be in our year and the year ahead of us. I turned back around the face Green eyes to see him eyeing Zabini and Malfoy.

"Are you friends with those two?" he asked once he finally noticed me looking at him curiously. I shrugged noncommittally. "Oh. Well just…be careful with those two. They're a little different this year, they may be up to something," he warned looking back at the now laughing duo suspiciously.

I smiled teasingly at him and poked his nose, "Don't go all Nancy Drew on me just yet, we still have a date to finish." I stood up leaving a few coins on the table. He stood up to, picking up the coins I had just place down and put them in my pocket, only to put down some coins of his own.

"You're not paying for anything. I asked you out and I am the guy, so I pay for everything," he only said when he noticed me about to argue with him.

"Who told you some dumb shit like that? I mean, I'm glad you're not a cheap-o or anything, but you don't have to pay for everything. This isn't the 50's anymore, no matter how backwards these people seem at times. I can pay for myself sometimes too or at least split the bill with you," I protested. He grabbed my hand and led me out the door or Madame Rosmerta's. While I was glad he took the initiative again and took my hand, because it showed him loosening up towards me more, I didn't want him to think that he was going to get away with what he just did.

"I like paying for you. I know I don't have to, but I have more money than I know what to do with and you deserve it. Please don't fight me on it. I'm not very good with words or spilling out my emotions, and I just recently gotten comfortable with showing affection. My childhood wasn't so great. So please when I want to pay for things or randomly buy you expensive gifts, don't be mad. It's the only way I know how to show what I feel for you." He pulled me over to a little alley, out of the way of roaming eyes and nosey students.

I smiled and looked down at ground trying to hide how much that made me feel. _This boy sure has a way of making me turn into a puddle of mush_, I thought sardonically.

I gripped onto his open robe and pulled him closer to me, accidentally causing him to trip and put on hand on the wall above my head. "When you put it like that how can object? Free is one of my favorite F-words." I smiled up at him. He smiled back my favorite smile which brought his dimple out. He leaned down to kiss me but stopped a breath away. I shook my head at his small hesitance. He was going to have to work on that.

I leaned my head up to final feel his lips on mine again. It was weird how comforting it was just to feel his smooth, warm lips on mind. I didn't feel fireworks or a spark of electricity the way romance novels describe it. It was more like a burn. It was slow spreading at first and only had a little flame to it. But it quickly became a huge fire that spread all the way down to my toes and scorched every part of me. It made me crave more.

I bit his bottom lip and pulled it a little, making that growl of his I loved so much appear again, which only added more to the fire. The fire rose in temperature as he got more into it. He moved closer pressing his hips against mine and grabbed the back of my thigh to bring my leg around his slim waist. I pulled him closer by grabbing on his hair and tugging it toward me.

I felt him his mouth open and him force his tongue into my mouth, not that I gave up much of a fight to begin with. It seemed to have a mind of its own as it searched and tasted everything it could reach. We both moaned as our tongues made contact with each other's. My fingers lazily played with the hair at the nape of his neck making him groan.

I don't know how long we spent like that, but the blaze only spread when I felt just how _happy_ Green eyes was. One thing: _Wow!_

A whistle beside us made us jump and give a little shout of fright. My vision was still a little hazy and mind was too jumbled to recognize who exactly it was just yet. I had to calm down my galloping heart and return my breathing back to normal, which wasn't easy as I noted how bee-stung Green eyes' lips were and how much more messed up he was.

"Am I interrupting something?" A deep and slow mocking drawl pulled my attention back to the intruder. I didn't know who he was. His dark hung down in waves almost to his shoulders and he had gray eyes. His mouth was pulled him to a knowing smile and his jaw was framed with a nearly shaven beard. His robes and his clothes looked expensive, but hung off of him slightly. He looked a little underfed, but otherwise okay. He may have been attractive, even for a guy his age, but he held no appeal for me.

_I_ didn't know him, but apparently Green eyes _did_.

"Sirius?!" Green eyes shouted in disbelief. He fixed his crooked glasses and I couldn't help but give a snide grin that it was my doing before my mind registered the name. I looked back at the now know man with a different look. I couldn't help thinking that I may finally be looking at my…_father_.

"Cub, aren't you going to introduce to the pretty lass of yours?" He smirked at Green eyes.

"Uh, y-yeah, sure, Sirius. Sirius this is A—"

"Wait! No, don't tell me. Is this the beauty you've been droning on and on to me about since this summer? You've finally found that Potter charm that's been buried within you, huh? I told you, you had it. Just took the right lass to bring it out," he patted Green eyes on the shoulder. From the light outside of the alley I could just make out Green eyes' rapidly darkening cheeks. Even after what we just done he still manages to blush. But I won't lie, it's nice to know that he's been bragging about me.

"Sirius Black, huh? Harry, and a few others, talk about you quite a bit," I spoke for the first time, giving Green eyes a chance to calm down. Sirius looked at me with surprise that I stepped up to him without any fear.

"Well aren't you a courageous lass. Usually when people bring up my name it's not a good thing. But I'm sure Harry's been bragging about me," he gave messed up Green eyes' hair, only to have Green eyes fruitlessly try to fix it.

"Not exactly, you just tend to hear a lot about the man whose supposedly your f—" but Harry's hand on my mouth cut me off. I looked to him questioningly. I was going to insult the man. _At least not yet_, I added.

"What are you doing here Sirius? You're not exactly supposed to be out in broad daylight, remember?" Harry reminded him, more put together than before. He still hadn't removed his hand from my mouth. I was tempted to lick his hand but it had just been on the wall of the Rosmerta's store. I'm not too fond of any oral infections.

"Yes Cub, I know," Sirius rolled his eyes. "That's why I've been going as…Snuffles." He looked over to me unsure of something. I knew he hadn't meant to say Snuffles, but whatever it was it was something I wasn't supposed to know. "Anyway, I was with Andy, Tonks, and Remus when Dumbledore floo'd us about something urgent that we needed to meet with him about. Apparently he's been trying to reach us all summer but couldn't get in contact with any of us."

I didn't know who these Andy, Tonks, or Remus characters were but I had a slight inkling as to why Dumbledore might have called them, and from the look of Green eyes, he may know as well.

"Really? Well, you shouldn't keep Dumbledore waiting." Harry rushed Sirius out of the alley and he transformed to a giant black dog right before my eyes. I stuck my head out of the alley and watched as no one even noticed the dog. He agilely kept to the shadows and weaved the buildings and headed towards the castle. This must have not been his first time doing this.

Green eyes finally removed his hand from my mouth. "Why did you do that?" I asked him.

"Sirius doesn't know about you yet. As you just found out, McGonagall and Dumbledore haven't had the chance to notify him about you. You was about to give him the surprise of his life and I really rather not see my godfather faint." He said offhandedly. He checked our surroundings before quickly pulling me out of the alley.

"We have to find Hermione and Ron," he said continuing to pull me along.

"Why? What's going on?"

"I think—I'm not too sure—but I think Dumbledore is about to find out who your parents are. Don't you want to know?" he asked finally stopping and facing me. He looked deep into my eyes and I couldn't help but to answer honestly.

"Well, yeah, but—"

"Okay then, we have to hurry. 'Mione has the map and Ron knows which carriage will get us back to the castle the fastest. We have to hurry if you want to sneak back in."

While my heart pumped faster at the trepidation of finally being able to find out who my biological parents, I felt a little happy as well that Green eyes trusted me with this information. I knew these little mystery-busting hunts were his thing with his friends, and to include me in it means a lot.

~.~

I don't remember the ride back to Hogwarts at all. I was too busy squeezing Green eyes' hand to death and chewing on my bottom lip in thought. Thousands of things flashed before my eyelids, but they all brought me back to my mom.

What would she think about all of this? Had she had any plans of telling me about my adoption or my magic? Did she really know about magic to begin with? And if she did, why would she give me those 'special' drinks to hide my magic?

Were my 'parents' going to be happy to see me? Or will they just be frustrated that hadn't been able to get rid of me like they had previously planned to? Was I planned and then later discarded, or was I an accident that they just didn't want to deal with? I tried to imagine what they looked like. I already knew what Sirius looked like, but if he was my father, then who was my mother? She had to be black. Did I get her eyes, or her smile, or her laugh? Did she like to read, like I did, or had a competitive spirit? Did either one of them bite their lip when they were in thought or nervous?

_Why did they give me away?_

I felt Green eyes squeeze my hand when the carriage came to a stop.

"Are you sure ready for this?" he asked me looking at me with those eyes of his that I love so much. He knew what I really wanted to say but didn't say anything when I lied to him.

"Yeah I'm fine." And I gave him a forced smile.

~.~

The walk to Dumbledore's office felt like to walk to death row. Don't ask how I would know how that feels. I watched way too many crime shows and movies when I was younger, let's leave it at that.

"If I were you I'd run away and try to avoid this the longest I possibly could," Chuckie suggested, and I actually had half a mind of doing just that. Chuckie surprising hadn't said anything disrespectful or insulting the entire ride. Either he learned from the last time or he actually had some type of empathy for me in this situation. This doesn't mean I like or forgive him, though, but I won't be punching him in his face today.

"Shut up, Ron. Avoiding is only another way of putting off the inevitable. No matter how much you may not want to confront this issue, Alexandria, in the long run you know it will only make it worst for you to put this off," of course Hermione was right. Turning around and running for the hills isn't going to do anything.

We came to Dumbledore's entrance to his office and we all just stopped. Harry looked at me questioningly again and I only nodded. My voice was too clogged to speak and I didn't want to clear my throat in front of all of them. I didn't want them to know how much this was really affecting me.

"You don't have to do this if you really don't want to. It's up to you," I heard Green eyes whisper to me.

"Hermione's right—"

"Of course she is. She always is. But forget about Hermione. Forget about Ron or anybody else in this situation. What do _you_ want to do?" I felt his rough and calloused hands on my face. I stared into his eyes and was finally able to breathe clearly. I noticed out the corner of my eye that Hermione and Ron had moved out the way to give us our space.

"I want to get far away from here. From whoever is in that room. From the truth. But I also want to know. I _need_ to know." I didn't know that my hand was clutching onto his robe until his hand joined mine.

"Okay," he smiled. "Then let's go," he pulled my hand into his and laced out fingers and walked forward and said the password to Twinkle's office.

"You're coming with me?" I couldn't help but to stare at Green eyes.

"Definitely. Why wouldn't I be there with you? I'm not letting you do this alone. Like you said before: you can't get rid of me that easily."

I squeezed his hand and gazed at him. Everything seemed to be happening so fast. One minute I'm the daughter of a woman who worked three jobs to support me and make me happy to the adoptee of that woman and the almost-girlfriend of this amazing guy who I feel very strongly for. I don't know what it is about Harry Potter that he could make anybody believe that things will get better. Somehow this this green-eyed boy has made me see things in a way I had never before. But I'm not going to question it. I'm just going to step on these moving stairs with his hands in mine and face whatever bull it is to come.


	9. Chapter 8

**I'm going to keep this short because I really don't have much to say today to you savages, but again thanks for the support and the reviews. I will be doing what one of you guys suggested and giving a bit more description on Alexandria's looks. Also, I know I have been doing better at the updating recently, but um, don't expect that to last too long for the time being. If any of you guys know what IB is then you would understand exactly what I mean by when I said that it is life consuming.**

**But I'll do my best…**

**Disclaimer: Do I really have to do this for every chapter? This chapter, the last chapters, and any other future chapters are not meant to make others assume that I own anything in regards to the Harry Potter Franchise. All rights belong J.K. Rowling and her awesome team.**

* * *

All my mind could register at the moment was the feeling of Green eyes' hand in mine. It is the only thing that I would allow myself to think about for the moment too. I didn't want to get my hopes up for anything. For all I know, none of the people that Dumbledore called to meet today could be my parents. Who's to say that if they are here today that they won't pissed when they see me here?

"Mr. Potter, Ms. Black, how nice of you to join us. I can not say that I am too surprised to see either of you here today, but I can say that I am surprised that you would be here…together," Twinkles voice broke me out of reverie and I noticed his eyes twinkling up a storm as he looked at our linked hands.

Twinkles sat at his desk where a large, colorful bird rested beside him on a golden stand peering at me with what looked like curiosity. Hell, for all I know, this bird probably was staring at me curiously, wondering who the hell I was. I wouldn't even be surprised if it changed into a human and walked over to me and asked me who I was directly. Okay, maybe I would a bit.

Beside Twinkles behind his desk stood McGoogly, and the ever grumpy Professor Snappy. He looked delightful as always with his greasy, limp hair and his crooked nose. Twinkles office, to be expected, was filled with a whole bunch of junk and magic-y do-dads. And in front of them sat five adults who had turned at Twinkle's announcement of our presence.

I recognized Sirius only, who sat in his chair stiffly when my last name was said. He studied me closer than before and seemed to be looking closely at every nook and cranny of mine. _Trying to see if you fathered an illegitimate child, hm?, _I couldn't help but to think.

Beside him sat a couple, at least I assume that the two of them were a couple. And they looked to be a new couple by the way the kept glancing at each other periodically with that gooey-love look. I would have thought it was sickening but I'd probably be doing that with Green eyes right about now had I not had to deal with this bull crap. The female oddly didn't look odd to me, but I could tell that she was considered strange to the Wizarding World. She had bubble gum pink hair with colorful cat ears on her head. She was wearing some sort of professional suit, but I couldn't make out the letters on her uniform, but whatever she was, it was official. Her hair isn't all that weird because nowadays people have tried a lot stranger hair choices. She eyed me with a cool calculation.

The man beside looked like he had definitely been dealt some tough hands in life. He looked older than he should have and his hair was receding. The remaining hair that he did have was a sandy brown and hung lifeless and the bags and wrinkles on his face spoke of rough times. He wore large and ratty clothes, and he looked warily at me, especially beside Harry. But as horrible as this man appeared now, I knew he had been quite handsome in his younger years.

The older couple that sat beside them looked surprisingly younger than the one before them. Although they were obviously older and were clearly married, due to the bands they both sported, they looked really happy. The woman had light brown and wildly curly hair—I did my best to ignore the fact that it resembled mine—and she had wide soft eyes, the kind you would see on a mother. I assume that she was the pink-haired woman's mother. She looked at me with careful curiosity and she clutched the man's hand in hers. He had fair hair and a pleasant, round face to match his round belly. But I noticed the tension beneath the surface.

"We just thought that if you were going to be having this conversation then Alexandria deserved to be here as well," Green eyes spoke with the confidence that fled from me the moment we entered this room. I couldn't make eye contact with any of the adults in the room beside the professors.

I wasn't ready yet. I'm not ready for this yet. For the truth. I don't think I even want to know anymore. Has my life been really so bad without the knowledge of them? I do actually, sort of, have friends now, I think. And I met Green eyes. Yeah, life has been pretty good so far.

"Is that so, Ms. Black?" Twinkles asked when I said nothing. My eyes refocused on him, then on the others in room one by one and then back on him. I drew in a breath and sucked in all the confidence that I could find left in me. I could practically here my mother chiding me on my cowardice.

"Yeah. You and McGoogly," I heard Sirius snort at this, ", have been avoiding me long enough. I suspected it had something to do with the search for my parents. Don't you think it would have been best to include me I your plans, seeing how they are _supposedly _my parents?" I confidently walked closer to the adults, pulling Green eyes with me. "So," I forced a smile, "Did you reveal the good news yet?"

"No, actually, we hadn't even gotten around to sharing our discoveries just yet," Twinkles answered smiling softly at me. But I didn't want soft right now. I could feel the beginnings of anger setting in.

"But you're never on time for anything, Black, now are you. I'm not surprised seeing who you're related to," Snape sneered at me and looked between Sirius and I. I could see Sirius bristle at his words and jump up out of his seat when Remus forced him to sit back down.

"Let me at the greasy bat!" Sirius protested from his seat. Snape glared at him. "Oh, just let me at him moony. He's not going to insult my name—no matter how much the rest of my family may deserve it—I'm still a Black!"

"Sirius, relax. Don't let him goad. You're giving him exactly what he wants. Don't even give him the satisfaction," Remus murmured to him.

"You should still be behind bars. If I had any say in it," Snape continued to goad.

"Enough, the two of you. This feud that you have has gone on long enough!" McGonagall scolded the two. And it seemed like it worked, but it didn't stop Sirius from making faces at him, and mouthing words that would make my mother blush. It only made Snappy more riled up.

"Albus, can you just tell us what you called all of us here for? You know it is a big hazard to have Sirius out in public like this. Also, why did you refer to that girl over there as 'Ms. Black'?" Remus asked finally, the only one who seemed to still have sense out of the adults left.

"Ah, right. Thank you Remus for reminding me. This summer, a large spike of magical activity alerted the ministry and the floo'd me to check it out. It wasn't anything dangerous, by their standards, but they thought it best for me to check it out. I brought Minerva and Severus along just in case. We followed it to a small house in the states. And we came to meet this lovely young lady." He gestured towards me and the adults in the room turned to me. I'm sure my face didn't look as _lovely _as he had previously referred to me as.

"Lovely? That would not be the word I refer to her as the first time we met her," Snappy snorted, "and I still wouldn't refer to her as such now either," he muttered.

"Well it's a good thing no one is asking you now, is there? If we wanted to hear what an old bat like you had to say we would've asked." I felt Green eyes squeeze my hand, but out the corner of my eye I noticed Green eyes holding back a laugh.

"If we could continue…" the older woman gestured towards Twinkles.

"My apologies Andromeda, where was I? Ah yes, when Ms. Black opened the door I recognized her magical signature almost immediately. It was very similar to that of the Blacks, as well as the fact that Minerva checked the address and the name Alexandria Jhonny Black was registered under this addressed. Invitations had been sent to her once she was of age, but for some reason it stopped and her name never went down in the books. Severus suspects foul play of the mother, but we have yet to confirm it. Her magic has been concealed by some potion.

"As I was saying, Alexandria here had no idea of her lineage, and we were shocked to discover that that her last name was linked to the Blacks, especially seeing as her birth has not been recorded here, or anywhere in the magical community. Minerva and I did some research and the only two possible Blacks at the time who could have possibly been able to conceive Alexandria are you, Mr. Black and—"

"Tonks was just a child, there is no way that she could have had a child," Sirius quickly protested, still reeling from Dumbledore's suggestion.

Dumbledore peered over his half-mooned spectacles and smiled patiently at Sirius, barely showing any emotion at Sirius' outburst. All the other adults in the room, excluding the professors and Sirius knew what Dumbledore was implying.

"I understand that, seeing how Ms. Nymphadora Tonks was merely seven at that age. However, I was referring to an older Tonks, Mrs. Andromeda Tonks to be specific." Dumbledore continued.

"Now wait on a minute there!" the feisty, pink-haired young woman exclaimed. "My mother has not had any other children but me! I would know!" she put her hands on her dainty hips and her hair turned a vibrant red to match her temper.

The mother in question fidgeted in her chair and her husband rushed to whisper in her ear furiously. She nodded to hip and tightened her grip on his hands. I squinted my eyes at this.

"Tonks," Remus whispered to his furious girlfriend to try and calm her down. He gently pulled her back down into her seat.

"Ms. Tonks, rest assured. Minerva, Severus , and I thought long and hard about who could potentially be Ms. Blacks parents. We would not make such accusations unless we were absolutely positive." Dumbledore calmed her down. I rolled my eyes at this. The only person in the room he should be calming down is me, I'm the one who is about to find out who my parents are.

"Mom, dad, tell Dumbledore you two can't be the parents. There's no way. I would have noticed another child and you guys would have kept it—her if you were to have another child. Right?" She looked desperately to her parents who only looked back at her sadly. I could see tears falling down her cheeks before she furiously wiped them away and looked away from the both of her parents.

They had another child.

"Nymphadora, we never meant to her you, anybody. It's just, the circumstances were different. But there is no way, really, that Alexandria is our daughter. I mean we gave our daughter up for adoption. She has a lovely home and a lovely mother, and the chances of the child being magical are slim." The older woman frantically tried to justify herself.

The spell didn't need to be done for me to know who my parents were. She gave me away. They gave me away. I'm their daughter and they didn't want me. But they kept _her_.

"Albus," McGonagall gestured to Dumbledore to just do that spell. He stood tall from his chair and waved his wand in an intricate pattern before saying, "Paternos Probatio Alexandria Jhonny Black."

Nothing happened for a moment and then a bright light filled the room. Everything glowed brightly and hot before it slowly dimmed and the only thing left in its wake was an envelope sealed shut. No one seemed to move for a moment. Everything was still. And that's when I noticed that no one could move. They had been frozen. The only one who could read the letter was me.

I walked forward to Dumbledore's desk and cautiously poked the envelope. I didn't want to die and there was no telling what that envelope was going to do to me. Catching on fire in this moment wouldn't exactly be beneficial for any of us. When I was assured that the envelope was going to make me burst into flames, I picked it up and opened it.

It was fucking blank! What the hell am I supposed to do with a blank envelo—words written in a cursive font slowly appeared on the paper. Ink bled into the appropriate letters that would determine the fate of how the rest of my life would go.

_Alexandria Jhonny Black_

_Daughter of:_

_Andromeda Tonks née Black_

_And_

_Sha'Colby Anderson_

All I could do was stare at the words written on the inside of the envelope. And stare. And stare. But the words never changed. And nothing else bled onto the paper. Andromeda Tonks and Sha'Colby Anderson. I'm trying to recall where I had seen that name before. It took a minute of searching all the files in my brain before I remembered seeing that name run along the bottom of the screen when I was flipping through the sports channel in the hospital room when my mother was sick. He's a basketball player. He's not a wizard. At least not a wizard in this room.

"Alexandria, dear?" McGonagall's voice gave me a start. I looked around to see everybody in the room staring at me. Sometime between when I opened the envelope and looked up the room and everyone in it unfroze. They stared at me, anxiously awaiting the news.

I looked to my left at Harry. He watched me probably concerned of my reaction. I just shrugged and gave him a bullshit smile and showed him the what the envelope said. I watched as his eyebrows furrowed as he read the five lines of words on the parchment over and over again.

"This doesn't make any sense," he mumbled, taking the envelope from my hand.

"What does it say cub?" Sirius asked him, staring between the both of us. He slowly got out of his chair and took a breath before he reached out to take the envelope from Harry's hand. Something left his eyes once he read the paper. It went too fast for me to see it. But then his face scrunched up and he read it again before twirling around to face the older woman.

"Andy? How—?" he struggled for words as his eyes swung between the words and the older woman. But she burst into tears as her husband looked down ashamed. He rubbed her back soothingly and bent down towards her ear to whisper something to her. Her head jerked back up and she looked at me. Her light eyes connected with mine. Something fell into place the same time something broke in me.

"I never thought…I didn't think that…" she choked on her words through the tears in her throat. Her eyes swept over me. From my thick, dark, curly hair, that went past my shoulders, down to my coffee with cream complexion. My olive skin tone complexion covered the skin that could be seen. My big eyes were a hazel, which probably reflected bits of sterling silver and dark greens in this light. My nose was small like hers, but my full lips I assume I inherited from my father. My face, a bit too round to be considered heart shaped, might have been a blend between the two. While her body was tall and slender, I was on the short side and curvy. My breast a bit bigger than hers, my waist slimmer, and my hips a bit wider, giving me the hourglass appearance. I didn't have to turn around or see the back of her to know that my ass was definitely rounder. My body shape I definitely inherited from my father's side. This is all soul food and collard greens, baby.

Pinky marched up to the shell-shocked Sirius and snatched the envelope from his hands before glaring at her mother.

"Tell me this isn't true. You wouldn't—you wouldn't cheat on dad, would you? Dad? This can't be—something isn't right here! I demand a re-test!" She slammed the parchment down on Twinkles' desk and stomped her foot angrily.

"Nymphadora, please," the older woman pleaded teary-eyed as she reached for her daughter only to touch air. Pinky moved out of the way and looked down at her mother.

"Then tell me the truth, mother," she sneered, and it looked so out of place on her face.

"Nymphadora Tonks that is enough! You speak to your mother like you have some respect! She does not deserve this!" her father shouted at her as he consoled his wife. Pinky's face fell when she noticed the state of her mother.

"I—your father and I were fighting all the time," Andromeda started once she wiped her face. It was no use though, because the tears continued to fall. "It got so bad one night though. We were yelling and screaming and just saying horrid things to one another. Insults were exchanged and we both said a lot of things we didn't mean just to hurt each other. Thinking back on it, we could've easily have handled the situation before it got that bad had I just listened to your father's side of the argument, but I was a proud woman in those days. I couldn't let go or step down, not when I _knew_ I wasn't in the wrong.

"But I had had enough and everything exploded that night. It only took one more hurtful thing out of your father's mouth before I went running out of the door. It was pouring rain and I was hurt and angry and I didn't know what to do. I wanted to feel free and independent, and I guess I wanted your father to feel hurt. I apparated somewhere. I don't know. I wasn't paying attention, which was very dangerous and I could have gotten splinched, but I wasn't in the right frame of mind. I noticed that the streets were dark and there were people celebrating somewhere. I followed the sound of cheers and laughing and the bright lights to a pub. I had no idea what was going on, but everyone seemed to be having a good time and I wanted to be having a good time too.

"I don't recall much of that night. It happened all in a blur really…all I can really recall is an African American man with hazel eyes who had a nice smile," sniffled some more before leaning back into her husband. He had a small grimace on his face and his eyes reeked of pain. But he held his wife so gently and lovingly. "Like I said, I don't remember much. I had a lot to drink. Next thing I know I'm waking beside a man who is not my husband undressed. I knew immediately that I had made a huge mistake. I hurt not only myself but also a wonderful man who deserved a lot better. I quickly apparated back home and, well…he forgave me. We made up and everything was fine, until I found out my pregnancy.

"It was a couple months after that night that I observed the tightness of my robes. I hadn't been feeling well and smells that had before made my mouth water, made me nauseous. Not to mention the fact that my magic was going a bit wonky. I had a suspicion but I didn't want it to be true. Edward and I worked everything out but we didn't have—"

"Ew ew ew! Please don't say the word! I don't need to imagine my parents shagging! That's icky!" Pinky declared covering her ears quickly. Her elbow caught onto the colorful birds stand and it squawked as it took flight when the stand knocked over. She looked apologetically at Dumbledore who waved her concerns away, amused. Her parents only rolled their eyes, brightening up a tad when they noticed their daughter back to her usual quirky self.

"Anyway, Edward took me to the Healer and they confirmed what I thought. I was pregnant. And it was only person who could be the father. All the hurt that I caused Edward resurfaced and I felt horrible. I didn't mean for it to happen. On one hand I was happy. I didn't want another child," she turned to me this time. She looked at me pleadingly, but I kept my face blank of everything. "But on the other hand, I knew it would hurt Edward to see me care for another man's child. We decided, though, to keep you, Alexandria. Edward knew I fell in love with you the moment I discovered you, and he said that he would be happy as long as I was happy. But as my due date approached, I noticed his eyes beginning to dim. And I knew what I had to do.

"it was hard, Alexandria. You have no idea how hard it was for me to give you up. It wasn't easy. I thought long and hard about it. And when I finally heard your cry when you came into this world, I knew the only way that I could let you go is if I didn't look into your pretty little face, and hold your tiny little body in my arms. I knew once I looked into those gorgeous hazel eyes of yours I would be lost. So I signed away my rights, and gave you to a nurse there. It was clear to me that she had fallen in love with you the moment her eyes met yours and I knew you would be in good hands."

"You just knew? Just like that? Mother's intuition, huh?" I asked monotonously. I ignored the tears that continued to flow from her eyes. Because I was angry. "So, what? You just gave me up?"

"It wasn't easy—"

"So you've said. But you did. Because you didn't want to hurt your husband any more than you already did. And I can respect that. I really can. And to some extent, I can even see why you would do that. But I was a child. And you just gave me away to a woman you didn't know anything about. For all you know, she could have been crazy. My life could have been a total hell, but you wouldn't know that because you weren't there. You don't know what I've gone through. You weren't there when I took my first steps, or said my first words, for every tear I cried, or every hospital visit. You weren't there."

She looked to me worried. "Hospital visit? Why would you be in the hospital? Were you okay?"

I froze for a second. I had almost gave everything away. I didn't want to talk about it. I didn't want to think about it. And she, nor anyone of them, deserved to know. It wasn't any of their business anyway.

"Don't worry about it. The past is the past." I shrugged away.

"If you were hurt—if she hurt you—!"

"Why would you care? You're not mother! She was! She took care of me. And no, she never hurt me. You set the bar when you gave me away."

"Now wait a minute there, young lady. You do not speak to my wife like that," Edward Tonks raised out of his chair. He looked at me sternly and stood in front of his wife. I knew the words that was coming out of my mouth was hurtful. But I needed this. I need to get this out and she was going to listen.

"And you, _Edward_," I mocked him, strolling lazily up to him. "You couldn't love me? I was a part of her. Technically I am half her, why couldn't that be enough?" I knew my eyes reflected my emotions. I felt the stinging sensation behind my eyelids and I knew he felt some way too. "Why wasn't I enough? You already had one daughter. You couldn't take another?"

His eyes softened and his entire demeanor changed. "It wasn't the fact that you weren't mine, it was that fact that I wasn't yours. I would have been able to look into your face and seen my wife, but who's to say that you would have been able to look into my face and not wonder who your real dad was? I wouldn't be able to deal with the fact that I was the one who raised you and loved you like a daughter, and _he_ got all the credit. It was selfish of me. And I knew I hurt my wife. But I couldn't help it." He cried softly too, reaching out to me but I took a step back.

I felt a pair of strong arms wrap around my waist and I knew it was Green eyes. He was the only thing at this moment keeping me together. I needed it.

"I looked for you. Andy went into a bout of depression a couple of months afterward and I knew I had to do something. It was my entire fault anyway. If it wouldn't have hurt her she wouldn't have gone out that night in the first place. If I wasn't so selfish, she wouldn't have let you go. I had to fix my mistake. I went back to the hospital Andy gave birth in. It was a muggle one because St. Mungos would have been flooded with wizards who would question us about Andy being pregnant. We didn't want anyone to know so she kept a glamour on whenever she went out which rarely happened.

"I went back to the hospital to find the nurse who took you, but when I asked for her, no one knew who she was. It turns out that she was just doing an internship here and her last day was a couple of weeks ago. They wouldn't release a name and I couldn't demand the information since Andy signed her rights away. All I knew was that she moved away from London. You could've been anywhere in the world and the chances of finding you were very small. I figured that maybe it was for the best. I'm a strong believer in fate and everything happens for a reason. We were always meant to see one another again. That is why we are all here today." He smiled looking around the room. But my face still betrayed no emotions.

"I didn't know any of this Ted," Andromeda looked at him in awe. He kissed her on her forehead.

"I didn't want you to know. And when I couldn't find her I knew you would have been even more devastated afterwards. I couldn't let that happen to you," he wrapped his arms around her lovingly and just held her. They stood in that embrace together and I looked away, not wanting to see their happiness at the moment or intrude on a private moment.

"Where in Merlin's name was I when all of this happened?!" Pinky shouted incredulously. She through her hands in the air, narrowly missing a tall stack of tombs piled high.

"You were a child Dora. When you weren't tripping over everything you were busy being a child. Like I said, Andy kept up a glamour most of the time, so we don't fault you for not noticing," Edward reassured his daughter. The tension in the room lightened enough for most of the occupants to give a light chuckle. But I didn't, Green eyes didn't, and surprise surprise, Snappy didn't either. Never thought Snappy and I would ever have anything in common.

"Is that supposed to make everything better? You gave a half-assed look for me and that is supposed to make me smile and jump into your arms and beg for the four of us to be a family?" I snapped. Everyone looked back to me. No one said a word and I stormed out of the room, not caring for anyone that called out to me.

I needed to get out of that room. I needed air. I just…I don't know what I needed.

* * *

**Sup, that was a pretty long chapter, huh? Well it's longer than my other ones anyway, that's for sure! I hoped you guys liked it. It had the sassy Alexandria, I gave a description of how she looked, and it had drama. **

**I probably won't update for a while or so, I have to catch up on other work that I have been putting off for a while, but don't worry I'll be back. Don't forget to review and let me know what you think.**


	10. Chapter 9

**Hey guys. Just want to apologize about being away for so long. I honestly didn't mean to stay away for so long and abandon you guys. Time got away from me and before I realized it I was away for three weeks. Anyway, I know you guys don't really want to sit here and read my rambling on not updating the work.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, or any characters affiliated with the name, J.K. Rowling does. All rights reserved to her. I do have rights to all of my original characters, though.**

I wasn't currently in the right frame of mind as I ran out of Dumbledore's office. My mind was still buzzing with too many things about what just happened and it was hard to focus on any one thing. Everything was a blur and I really needed some air. I didn't really pay any attention to where I was going; I just let my feet guide me to wherever.

What would be the right response for someone in this position? You just found out that your birth mother gave you away because she had an affair and didn't want to upset her husband. Said husband didn't want his wife to keep you because he feared one day he wouldn't be good enough for you. Your biological father is…well, I really don't know who he is. Your biological mother was drunk the night you were conceived and the only thing that you know about who your father is, is his name.

Not to mention that your birth mother gave you up the minute she gave birth to you without even making sure that said woman was even sane. She just knew. And let's not forget to add that now your mother is a suspect in an investigation to find out who drugged you with anti-magic potion, or whatever it was!

NO!

I refuse to go there. Yeah, maybe my mother is the most likely suspect but there is no way that she would do that to me if she discovered what I really was. She loved me. She wanted to protect me from anything that would hurt me. Why would she do something like that—try and take away a part of me, an essential part of me, just to keep me…normal? And I'm only doubting her right now because I am vulnerable…and distraught…and…and…

"I knew I'd find you here," a deep voice startled me. I looked up to see black, wavy hair hanging down a stress-ridden face. Sirius Black.

When my mind recovered enough to register what he said I took a look around me. How the hell did I end up here? I've never even been to this part of the castle? I have no idea where I am.

"Judging by the look on your face I'm going to wager that you don't recall how you end up here," he guessed.

He walked closer to me and stood beside me gazing at the grounds of Hogwarts. The sun was just setting and the sky was the most amazing shade of reds, violets, pinks, and fiery oranges. The sun gave the Black Lake a green glow that actually made it look less daunting.

"How could you know that I'd come here if I didn't even know myself? I was so lost in thought…I didn't consciously mean to come here…"

"I'd just about figured."

"Then how…?"

"Because I came here a lot as a lad, myself. And yeah, you may not have consciously decided to come here, but Hogwarts knew what you needed."

"How could a castle know what I need?"

"That's the funny thing about magic: it doesn't always make sense. Sometimes magic just…knows. Hogwarts is a very intelligent and intuitive lass, and she sometimes knows her students than they know themselves."

"But…?"

"Look lass, I don't know the specifics and everything behind it, but when a student enters Hogwarts for the first time, their magic bonds with this castle. Hogwarts recognizes students by their magical signatures, bond with them, and that's how she knows certain things. She knew that you needed some place peaceful and quiet to go. What better place than the Astronomy Tower?"

I looked back around at where I was. I guess this would be the best place to look up at the stars. The view must be amazing from here. There are not many opportunities to stargaze while living in the city and I bet it would be wonderful from this viewpoint.

But the small chatter of students returning from Hogsmeade brought my attention back to the present. I watched as they huddled and giggled and chased each other around. They looked so carefree and…youthful. Not something you'd expect to see from kids who were just yesterday ready to curse each other for just looking at each other the wrong way. But they were happy right now. I yearned for the way they laughed so freely.

I sighed heavily and looked down at my hands.

"If it makes you feel any better…I was…kind of hoping that you'd be mine," he chuckled nervously keeping his eyes on the students below. Some chose to lounge around on the grounds with their friends.

My head jerked in his direction when he said that. I couldn't believe my ears. He…what?!

"You…huh?"

He sighed again. "I wanted you to be my daughter, as crazy as it may sound. I was pretty…friendly with the ladies back in my day and I wouldn't exactly be surprised if I fathered a few cubs." He gave a force laugh at the look on my face. "Look, all I'm saying is if I would have learned today that you were my child, I would be doing everything in my power to get to know you. You seem like a really amazing lass."

"Is that why you came looking for me? To convince me to come back and give them a chance? 'Cuz I gotta say, you're doing a pretty crap job about it. If anything, it's making me resent them more because they're not here. They never were." I spat bitterly.

"Actually I came looking for you because a certain godson of mine is going crazy lookin' for his girl. He's pretty into you, love." He turned around in his stance against the wall separating us from the plunge to our death.

I could feel the skin beneath my skin heat and a smile spread across my face.

"Harry's…special. You know? You really think he's crazy for me?" I asked looking up through my eyelashes. I felt like some love-struck idiot asking that question but I really wanted to know. I knew Green eyes had a thing for me, but Green eyes is really attractive and he's a pretty big thing in the wizarding world. He can really get any girl he wanted.

He only gave me a look. "Do you not see the way that boy fawn all over you. He damn tripped over himself when he saw you run out of the room all upset. Speaking of, are you ready to head back. I'm pretty sure the cub's beside himself with worry."

I giggled a little at the way he rolled his eyes but I could tell he really adored Harry. Harry was right earlier when he mentioned how much Sirius loved him. Even just barely talking to him I could tell that Sirius meant what he said before when he told me that he would have loved for me to be his daughter. And I have to say, that it felt pretty good knowing that.

He swung his large arm around me as I started walking towards the inside of the school again.

"I'm serious lass. The kid's head over hills for you. But I can't really say I'm surprised. Them Potters have a way of finding their true love at a really young age."

"Really?" I was surprised. I didn't know this. Sirius nodded his head in full assurance.

"Absolutely. Mr. Potter, Harry's grandfather that is, met his beautiful wife Dorotea when he was only seven and I remembered him saying how much it was love at first sight. Hell, I was right next to James, Harry's dad, when he saw Lily the first time, when we were eleven, and I couldn't pull that boy away from her ever since."

Sirius had this distant look in his eyes as though he was in the past again. His smile was nostalgic and sad at the same time.

"Anyway" he cleared his throat, "Harry's done found his one—that's you, by the way—and he's a goner. Just between me and you," he lowered his voice as we got inside the halls of Hogwarts, "I'm glad it's you. I mean, I know the he can be a few screws short sometimes, but he is a really bright boy.

I already knew Green eyes was smart.

"He's had it pretty rough his whole life, you know. I don't think he's told you. He doesn't talk about it much—heck! At all. But I know his childhood has taken its toll on him and he really needs someone whose gonna stick by him. His friends are great, especially kitten—sorry," he chuckled at an inside joke, "Hermione. She's a spitfire that one, but I feel she's still not there yet, you know?"

"Not really. I don't know what you're getting at. Hermione is a freaking genius. And she's mature."

"That's not what I'm saying. Yeah the girl's a genius, and a helluva lot more mature than I'll ever be, but Hermione and Harry…that'll never happen. They're not only jut best friends, but Hermione and Harry don't click right in the way. Hermione's not ready for a relationship, at least not one of the magnitude that Harry would require. And is not a bad thing. But the maturity that is needed for a relationship is something she lacks."

"And you think that I have it?"

"I know that you do. And if you don't right now, you'll figure it out along the way with Harry. Don't doubt him or yourself. Okay?"

We stopped in front of the Great Hall's doors and I looked up at him. His ashy gray eyes were really intense and serious. He was looking for something in me. I guess he found it when he suddenly smiled wide and threw open the doors where the first thing that I saw were bright Green eyes.

* * *

"Do you want to talk about it now?"

Green eyes and I were lying on his bed with the curtains drawn. We had been in silence up to this point for nearly two hours now since Sirius' and my entrance into the Great Hall. Well, my entrance into the Great Hall. After Sirius burst through the doors I looked to my left only to see him in a dog form turning the corner. Green eyes ran to me and I knew he wanted to ask if I was alright, but somehow he was able to hold back until now.

He had to sneak me into his dorms, and it wasn't easy. A lot of the Gryffindors littered the hallways talking to friends and even more in the common room. He chose instead to just fly us up to his room on his broomstick. I couldn't fully enjoy the ride, though, because my mind was pulled back to what Sirius said earlier.

"The Potters have a way of finding their true love at an early age..."

I looked up from where my head lay on his shoulder and into his beautiful shaded eyes. They weren't as sparkling and bright as they usually were and I didn't like seeing him this way. I knew he was worried about me, but I didn't like the look on his face.

"Not really. I mean, there's nothing much to talk about."

"Well, I think there is plenty to talk about. Like for instance, your birth parents." His face scrunched up and my fingers moved to rub his face. I didn't even realize what I was doing until after I did it. He smiled softly at me.

"Yeah..."

"And there is nothing you want to say about it?"

"What am I supposed to say?"

"What about how you feel?"

"And what should I feel Harry?"

"Angry. Confused. Hurt, maybe. I would if I were in your position. I have really only known Sirius, Tonks, Remus, and Tonks' parents for a couple of years. I can't really say that I know them too well, but the same could be said for you."

I just stared into his eyes. I didn't know what he was trying to say just then.

"In my defense, it doesn't really feel like we just went on our first date today, and had our first kiss yesterday. Are you saying that you think we're moving too fast...?" I was worried that he was trying to hint at me that he thought we should slow down.

Just like my history with friends, my history of boyfriends is much less. Pretty much non-existent. I've had a nice amount of suitors over the years and everything, but I haven't been attracted in someone like I was with Green eyes.

"No!" he jumped up a little, and then apologized for scaring me. "That's not what I'm saying at all! I just...I'm on your side. I know what it's like to be hurt by someone who is supposed to care for you."

He stayed in his upright position. He looked down at his pale hands and I sat up with him. If I thought I didn't like the worried look on his face, this pained look nearly killed me. It made me wants to go out and hurt anyone who hurt him. I reached to tangle our fingers together and squeezed them. He looked back at me with a hesitant look before he started speaking again.

"My parents died when I was one years old. I don't know how much you know about me, but they were killed by Voldemort." He paused and checked over as though he was waiting for something to happen but he continued after his search came up empty. I was confused by his reaction but didn't press on.

"Every wizard and witch knows the story about that fateful Halloween night when I got rid of Lord Voldemort. Short story short, he killed my parents, and in a desperate attempt to save me, my mother sacrificed her life for mine. Voldemort tried to kill me too, but the spell bounced off me and onto him. I was left with this scar."

I watched as he brought his arm up to pull his inky hair back. His hair was thick and really dark, making his skin look paler. But with his hair removed from his forehead I noticed what he was referring to. I hadn't caught the angry, red scar before because he had been growing his hair out since this summer, but I could see it clearly now. It pronounced itself on his skin in a lightning mark-S-shaped sort of way.

"That's a pretty cool scar you have there," I tried to make light of it. But it didn't work.

"He 'marked me as his equal' that night. Anyway, I was given to my mother's sister, Petunia, and her husband, Vernon Dursley. They had a baby boy around my age named Dudley. They were horrible. They...I spent the first eleven years of my life slaving over a stove, a sink, and their filthy clothes. I was treated as trash. The food that they barely fed me were smaller than the scraps they fed the raccoon that used to dig in our trash. No matter what I did, it was always wrong. I was always a bad boy...

"I slept under the stairs in this really small closet. All i had to my name was a cot, and the few hand me downs from Dudley. I could only have something if Dudley was done with it first. Toys, clothes, food. i used to wonder why they hated me so much. Why they treated me this way. Why they loved Dudley and not me. I thought I was a good boy. I barely asked for anything, I didn't whine or complain, like Dudley did often. I even got really good grades. But when they noticed that my grades were higher than Dudley's they couldn't have that. They pulled me out of school and withheld me a year before letting me return. I was behind in everything and the other kids laughed and poked fun of me. But Dudley and his friends were worst.

"They would chase me around the playground until my lungs would burn and I would fall and scrap my knees. They;'d then beat me once I was down on the ground until I started to scream. And then they'd laugh. If I hit them back, they'd tell and say I provoked them. I was already behind in my school work and the Dursleys spread the rumor around town that I was a troublesome kid, so it wasn't hard for the teachers to learn that I was nothing but a liar and a troublemaker. If they ever noticed anything odd about my small body or how big and dirty the clothes on me were, they never said anything about it."

He had to take a few deep breaths before he could continue. My anger boiled underneath but I didn't want Green eyes to see me that way. I didn't want him to know how much it affected me because I wanted to focus on comforting him only.

"I thought things would always be like that. I remember how I would count the days until I could leave them all behind forever and never look back. I _hated_ it there. And then Hagrid came to get me. Telling me about this magic world and that I was a part of it. I didn't believe him. And then he told me about my parents. The Dursleys had me believing that they died in a car crash, but Hagrid, he told me the truth. They lied about my parents and me my whole life, and they killed them off in such a _despicable_ manner!"

Harry's hands shook in anger and his face turned the beginnings of red. I crawled over towards him and sat in his lap. My knees were on either side of him and I put my hands on his face to bring it up so that he could look me in the eyes. His eyes and nose were red and tears cascaded down his cheek. I wiped them away with my thumbs and rubbed my nose gently against his. I placed one more kiss on his lips before pulling back to let him continue.

"Ron was the first friend that I made. His family quickly took to me, and Mrs. Weasley nearly choked me to death when she hugged me. But I was uncomfortable when she did. I wasn't used to these affections from people. The only experience that I've had with contact wasn't a pleasurable one. Hermione was the second friend that I made and she practically forced me to get used to hugs and pats and hand holding. And I have gotten better with it. But, sometimes, if I don't expect it, I'll have a flashback and regress back to 'old Harry'."

"You're doing really well with me right now," I commented rubbing his cheeks more. He looked at our position and blushed.

"It's different with you for some reason. I don't know. Your touch…it puts me on edge, but not in the way the Dursleys did. It's like this current that runs beneath my skin and into my veins…" his hands trailed along my legs over top of my jeans, to my hips. I felt myself blush. His hands came to rest on my hips and he squeezed them tighter almost like he was making sure that I was really there and not a figment of his imagination.

"…I don't know exactly how to describe it perfectly. It's hard to put into words. Just know, I've never felt this way before about anyone. Not even—"

"Not even who?" I felt myself tense up a little when he just cut himself off. I knew that he was with someone before me. I would be stupid to think that I am the first girl that he's ever been with, even if he acts that way sometimes. But I've been getting them hints that he's dropped, and I remember Blaise's comment from earlier about a 'Weaselette'.

"Ginny." He finally said after a while. He looked really reluctant to mention her to me. This did not help ease me in the slightest. "Ginerva Weasley, Ron's younger sister. She's a grade below us. We dated briefly. _Really_ briefly. She had always had a crush on me, it just took me too long than I'd care to admit that it wasn't me she liked, but really The Boy Who Lived. She liked the image that the public made me out to be, never the person behind that shadow. It took me a while that I was truly competing with myself for her affections. We started dating the end of last term, and broke up a couple weeks before school started again this year."

"She's the one who you were referring to when you asked me those questions about me being insecure with you and Hermione's relationship?"

He nodded and played with the waistband of my jeans. It tickled and he looked up at me startled at the odd noise that squeaked out of my mouth. A small smile was put on his face when he realized that I was ticklish but I gave him a look.

"Yes. I didn't want us to turn out like how that relationship did. Truthfully, she's the only one I've ever dated. I went on one date with this girl in Ravenclaw, Cho Chang, but it never got farther than that. I really wanted things between us to work out—to be real."

"Me too," I whispered. "This is a first for me too. There's never been anyone who has interested me before. You—you're the first person I've let in since my mom's death. And you're the only thing that feels like that it is really holding me here." I gestured vaguely around me.

"That definitely makes me feel better," he smirked. "You know, that I'm the only guy that's captured your attention. I guess it is true when they say that love can make the strongest man in the world feel like the weakest and the weakest man in the world feel like the strongest."

We both froze at what he just said. Sirius' words from earlier rang in my ears.

"_The Potters have a way of finding their true love at an early age…"_

"Did you just…?"

"Nope."

"But you just said—"

"No I didn't."

"Yes you did. I just heard you say…"

"I haven't the faintest idea what you are referring to, I think you need you need your ears checked," he looked up at me with mock concern with a playful smile teasing at the edge of his lips. But I could see the severe nervousness beneath them.

I smiled wider than I have in a really long time.

"So you didn't just say what I heard you say?"

"Nope. Well it depends on what you thought I said. If you think I said that I truly despise you, then yeah, I said that."

"Oh. Well, in that case, I despise you as well. So much."

His eyes connected with mine and the question in them was clear. Did I mean what he thinks of mean? I smiled and nodded slightly. I'm not at the love level yet, but I definitely feel very strongly for him. He got the message loud and clear and smiled widely and kissed with a loud smack. I giggled at his silliness.

* * *

"…how about now?"

"No, Drake."

"…now?"

"I'm about to shove my right pinky toe down your throat!"

His pale face twisted into a look of disgust and he froze. "Why the right one?"

"Ugh!"

Draco and I have definitely gotten closer since I've started at Hogwarts. For some strange reason we've just clicked and as much as I was irritated by him right now, I can honestly say that he's become a really good friend. But I'd never tell him that. One, because his ego was large enough, two, because friendships never really end well for me and I don't want to jinx it, and three, because right now I just wanted to hold his head under water gently for twenty minutes.

He's been hounding me about why I disappeared from the Hogsmeade trip last week. He knows that Green eyes and I weren't seen again for the rest of the day, and once I was able to convince him that we weren't anywhere shagging, he's been trying to squeeze it out of me what I was really doing.

Other than Green eyes and everyone else that was in Twinkles' office that day, nobody else knows about what was said in that room. I made Green eyes swear to not tell anyone, not even Hermione. I didn't want everyone in my business. I know that I won't be able to hide it forever but I want people to find out on my own terms.

"Alex! Are you ignoring me right now on purpose? Because that it really rude." He huffed and pouted as only a Malfoy could. I turned abruptly to him.

Drake's taken to calling me Alex. It made me uncomfortable at first how he was so comfortable with me that he felt that we were at the 'nickname stage' in our friendship, but I quickly adjusted and have my own nickname for him. But he only allows me to call him that. My nightmares have been persisting lately and he's been there whenever I wake up on the couch. I didn't sleep in my dorm because I don't feel like hearing the other girls screeching about how I interrupt their beauty sleep with my screaming in terror.

"I was actually thinking about something, but now that I'm not anymore I can go back to pointedly ignoring you." I marched back in the direction of the Gryffindor common room. I haven't seen Green eyes all day today. I kinda need a daily dose of him.

"fine. Ignore me. But I will get it out of you soon. A Malfoy always get what he wants."

I snorted and derisively mumbled, "Not everything."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly how it sounds."

"What do I want that I haven't already got."

"Oh, I don't know. How about a brown-eyed, tan-skinned, curly-haired bookworm?"

He screeched to a halt. Literally. His shiny and expensive looking shoes made that screeching news on the floors.

"I will murder you right here and now if you are implying what I think you're implying."

I came to a stop too and looked him seriously in the eye. "How long have you known me?"

"A month." He deadpanned.

"Regardless, in that month, you have discovered that I am not stupid, correct?"

"It is now under further evaluation after your previous comment."

"Don't play stupid, Draco Malfoy. I have perfect memory if you recall, and I remember exactly every time I have caught you staring longingly at Hermione. I notice the spark of life that ignites in your eyes every time you tease or pick on her. And that's all you do. You're mean and rude and snobby to just about everyone but me, Blaise, and Hermione."

"Oh please, I despise Granger. She's buck-toothed—"

"Her teeth are perfectly straight and pearly white."

"—her hair is a big bushy mess—"

"It's just really curly, and I gave her the conditioner that I use so her hair is a lot more tamed and manageable."

"—she does nothing but read all day—"

"You secretly love to read do that's a quality that you actually adore in her. You love how smart she is. I notice how you sneer at all the brainless bimbos when they make a ridiculous statement or ask a stupid question."

"—and she's friends with Potty and Weasel! How I could I ever like someone who has a poor taste and friends?"

"Now you're just searching for reasons to not like her. I'm dating Harry and you like me just fine," I reminded him. He scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Oh please. I only tolerate you. I'd hardly call what I feel for you _like_."

"Whatever you say Drake. But whatever you feel for her, you might want to figure it out before it's too late. Hermione's a gorgeous girl and it won't take too much longer for the other boys in this school to start noticing. I notice some Ravenclaw boys checking her out yesterday when we were studying together in the library."

I noticed how his fist clenched and his jaw tightened, but he showed no other outward reaction to my declaration. I knew I had him right where I wanted him.

"Where are we going anyway?" he asked after a minute. We were on the scary ass staircase of Hogwarts. I hate these freaking stairs. They were cool at first, from a distance, but actually being on them scares the shit out of me.

"_I'm_ going to see Harry, I don't know about _you_."

"You're seriously still seeing him?" he whined. I rolled my eyes at his childishness.

"Drake, you guys all need to really grow up. You don't even have a legit reason to not like Harry. You're just being a brat now."

"Excuse me if I don't like to watch you and Potty make eyes at each other."

"Stop calling him that and we do not make eyes at each other!"

"Yes you do. Granger and I both caught you that first day of classes. I'm not blind Black."

"I didn't say you—" I immediately cut myself off when I heard my name drift through the opened door of the Gryffindor common room. I could hear laughter and some chatter but a discussion between what sounds like the entire house going on. Drake and I did what Slytherins do best and snuck and listened to their conversation.

"…all I'm saying is that Harry's clearly out of his mind for dating her," someone proclaimed. I assume they're referring to me. A bunch of protests and agreements rose after this.

"Out of his mind?!" a shout of incredulity was the loudest of the bunch. "Have you seen her? Slytherin or not, I'd try and put a ring on that too!" A few feminine groans rose but it was outweighed by some deep chuckles and hand slapping. I could only assume the guy who said that was getting some high-fives.

"I'm not trying to put a ring on it…" I heard Harry protest weakly. I could tell by the tone of his voice that he was blushing. "Why are we even discussing this? It's between Alexandria and I what goes on in our relationship."

"Exactly!" Hermione's voice stated firmly and loudly. "It really isn't anyone of your business. However, I have to say that they make a wonderful couple. I can't say I've met two people more perfect for each other."

"Oh please, Granger. We're all surprised you haven't run the girl away yet," someone else chuckled. I could tell the teasing was all in good nature between the Lions.

"Yeah!" someone else shouted "You have a way of scaring the bloody mess out of all of the girls Harry's dated."

"That is not true!" Both Harry and Hermione shouted.

A lot of "Yes it is!" overpowered them.

"What about Ginny?" a girl asked from the crowd.

"Oh please, everyone knows the girl didn't even really like Harry. She was nothing short of—Dean, what was that word you called her the other day?"

"A Gold digging Hussy?"

"Yeah, that."

"Watch what you say about my sister Patil!" I could recognized Chuckie's outrage cry from anywhere.

"Ron's right. Let's not call anyone names, especially someone whose not here to defend themselves. As a matter of fact, let's just get off this discussion completely." Harry spoke up again.

"He just wants to run off and see his _girlfriend_," a voice from earlier teased and made kissy noises.

"Gryffindors," I heard Draco scoff beside me, "they are so immature." But I just shushed him.

"Can I just say," I knew this voice to be that Dean boy who called Ginny a gold-digger, "that I for one am glad that there is finally another black person at this school," a collection of groans and 'here we go again' sprung up. "I'm serious guys. I am like the only black person here!"

"Oh shut up Dean! You can't even really call yourself black! Your whiter than I am!" Everyone in the common room laughed at this.

"Oh bugger off Seamus!"

"Look Harry, if you want to date a Slytherin, fine. You know we have your back. but just be careful. She hangs out with Malfoy and Zabini a lot, and you know those two can't be trusted." A gentle voice spoke this time. Gentle but strong. I knew this voice belonged to Longbottom. He's in my Herbology class.

"Alexandria knows what she is doing. I trust her. If she's friends with Malfoy and Zabini then…they must be…okay guys," he seemed to really struggle getting that out and I had to roll my eyes at their dramatics. "Besides, who am I to tell her to hang out with? She doesn't complain about how much I hang out with Hermione and Ron, and she can't really stand Ron all that much. It would be pretty hypocritical of me to do it to her."

"I hate to admit it," I heard Malfoy start from my right, "But Potter isn't stupid as I thought he was. He's still stupid. But not _as_ stupid."

"Will you be quiet? I am trying to listen in on their conversation!" I huffed at him. "They're going to know we're hear if you keep talking."

"Please, Black. I'm surprised the Gryffindorks didn't discover our whereabouts already with your loud breathing! You sound congested. You should really see Madame Pomfrey about that."

"I know you're not talking!"

Had we not been bickering we might have notice the sudden lack of noise in the common room. A throat cleared from beside us. I looked into pair of my favorite green eyes and smiled innocently.

"So…what's this about putting a ring on it?"

**Finally! I know right! I've finally updated this story. It's not that I've been stuck or anything, I've just been so freaking busy I'm considering whether or not al the overworking I'm doing is even worth it.**

**Oh and by the way, I know I said that I wasn't going to start another story before I finished this one, but I couldn't help it. If you ever get bored of waiting for me to update this story, then check out Perfect Accuracy. It's a X-men/Avengers cross over with a new OC of mine. If you like Alexandria Black wait until you get ahold of Samantha Saunders!**

**Anyway, review and stay tuned for more. This story is by no way close to being over!**


	11. Chapter 10

**As you can see, the chapters have been getting longer lately. It's just that I've realized at the pace I was going, it was probably going to be about 70 chapters. And I don't know about you guys but that many chapters turn me off. So I decided to lengthen the chapters because I already know how I want this story to progress and end. I got the inspiration from this five-shot I read.**

**BTW, you really check out this website for some good fanfiction reading material: .com! Some of my favorite authors are on there.**

**Disclaimer: I do not have any rights to any characters or names associated with Harry Potter, all rights are reserved to J.K. Rowling.**

* * *

_You should really be paying attention Green eyes._

**I can't help it. Not when there is something a lot more appealing to look at.**

_It's grammatically incorrect to end a sentence in 'at', besides, if I didn't know any better I'd think you were flirting with me._

**I would never flirt with you. I apologize for the misunderstanding.**

_Apology accepted, but only because my boyfriend wouldn't approve of it and would beat you up. He can be a bit volatile sometimes. It's actually kind of turns me on though, so don't tell him I said that._

I giggled at the look on Green eyes' face after he read my note. We were both in Potions bored out of our minds. I could hear what Snape was saying but I didn't both taking any notes since I could remember and just take notes later on.

Green eyes and I were busy sending eachother notes through our enchanted quills and parchments. The message disappears after you writes it and it sends it to the partner parchment where it only lasts just long enough for you to read it. I could still see the remnants of a blush staining his cheeks when pale elongated fingers slammed onto my desk.

"Something funny, Ms. Black?" Snape sneered down at me from his position but it wasn't anything new to me.

"No, sir."

"So then do you care to answer why you were making a noise that resembles that of a mandrake root?" He raised a slender eyebrow of his. I heard a few snickers in the class before I looked up to glare at them.

"I apologize sir, it's just you have something on your face," I gestured to a general spot near his nose. He narrowed his eyes and tried to figure out if I were being serious or not. His hand came up to touch the area near his nose and looked at his hand only to come up empty handed, but his face now had a smudged ink spot near his nose.

"Sorry, sir. It must have been my imagination." I shrugged innocently.

"Keep your insolence to yourself," he growled and turned back around with flair to the front of the class. He opened his mouth to say something else when he noticed the time and grudgingly dismissed us.

I packed up my belongings and waited near the door for Green eyes who quickly shoved everything into his bag. Hermione begin to scold him for doing so and not placing everything in his bag the way he should properly.

"Bugger off Hermy. Some of us have girlfriends and have way more important things to worry about than organization. You would know what it's like if you took your head out of those books once in a while."

Harry glared at Chuckie and went to say something when Hermione beat him to it.

"Some of us actually care about our futures Ron, so pardon me for doing so. Also, of those some people that have girlfriends you should not be including yourself in that category. For you to actually have a girlfriend she would need to be with you and only you. Lavender opens her legs more than she opens her mouth to spout incorrect information, and we all know that is saying something since she does that all the time."

There was a burst of laughter between all of the students who remained, Gryffindor and Slytherins included. Whoever Lavender was this statement couldn't be refuted. Ron turned a furious shade of red similar to his hair and went to say something back when Harry hurried up to cover his mouth and drag him away from Hermione.

I decided to stay behind Hermione as she slowly and meticulously packed up the rest of her notes and quills. We were the only ones left in the classroom and I could easily make out the slight sounds of sniffling.

"Hermione?" I whispered. She jumped at the sound of my voice.

"Oh, Alexandria! You startled me. I didn't know anyone was still here. Harry already left, why…?" She tried to covertly wipe her tears but I caught that.

"You shouldn't let what he said get to you. None of the other kids in the room can laugh either because they don't have a significant other either."

She rolled her eyes. "It's not the fact that Ron said it or that he said it to everyone else. It's the fact that he wasn't lying."

"So what you like to read a lot. You shouldn't be ashamed of that. I like to read."

"I'm not ashamed that I love to read. Not even for the cutest boy in the world would I give up on reading. But the difference between you and I, are that people actually like _you_."

"People like you too—"

"No they don't—"

"Okay. First off, stop interrupting me and listen for once. That's one of your problems right there. Sometimes you just need to know when to shut up and listen, okay? I am in no way saying to keep your mouth shut, lie down, and never fight back. No, when the time calls for it, you use that fiery mouth of yours to put people in their places. And it's not that people don't like you, because they do, or at the very least they admire you. You're someone they all look up to, something they aspire to be. You just have a very different outlook on life than they are used to.

"You originally come from a different world from them. You're very opinionated and outspoken, and they're not used to women like that here. You intimidate them, and some are afraid of the power you possess, but it doesn't lessen the attraction. The wizarding world is definitely behind the muggle world. We're used to women being loud and opinionated, but not them. I'm not saying to stop being you, just take into consideration that they're not used to us here."

"I don't know how to do it like you."

"Well I just don't give a fuck either way, so it doesn't bother me what people think anymore. So it's not that they all like me, because they don't, it's just they know that they don't faze me. And since they know that I'm not affected in the slightest about their opinions of me, I've become this sort of enigma, this unattainable entity."

"A 'want you but can't have you so therefore want you even more' kind of ordeal?" She asked. A new sparkle was in her amber eyes and she smiled through the tears on her face.

"Exactly," I smiled back at her. I threw an arm around her shoulders. "Come on, we have Muggle Studies next. And wipe your face. Don't let them know that they can get to you."

We left Snape's class together and walked to our next period class. Just before I could walk in with Hermione someone grabbed my arm and pulled me away. My first automatically clenched before I turned around to see who it was. Smiling green eyes stared back at me. I nodded to Hermione for her to go ahead.

He wrapped his hands around my waist and pulled me close before leaning his forehead against mine.

"I heard what you said to Hermione." He whispered before giving me a chaste kiss.

"Whose being nosey now?" I teased.

"Oh no. You hold the title for that in this relationship. Need I remind you of the incident that occurred two weeks ago."

"No, you do not, I have perfect recollection, remember."

He chuckled softly, "Thank you."

"Green eyes…"

"No, seriously. Most would not have. But you did. And I know you didn't just because you know she's my best friend. You didn't because you're an amazing person with a really big heart and you care about her."

"Watch yourself. Say that louder and someone might actually hear you," I laughed when he pinched my waist making me twist and turn trying to get away from the ticklish sensation. I hurried into the class before I missed the entire lecture.

* * *

"'Sup, Black," Nott greeted behind a mouth full of food. I'd seen guys with less manners than him so the display didn't put me off that much but it was still disgusting nonetheless. Drake and Zabini had looks of disgust across their faces.

"Don't talk with your mouth full Nott. I know your father taught you better than that," Zabini scolded him throwing him a napkin. Nott's face flushed in embarrassment but he still glared at Zabini.

"How about not gorge on your food like you are, Nott. Purebloods don't gorge, they feast. Besides, the food here really isn't all that great," Malfoy sneered down at the curly haired brunette, but this time Nott didn't glare at him. He just lowered his eyes instead.

Theodore Nott was anything but a silent boy. He always makes sure he's seen and heard. He had no qualms about telling people about what he thinks or holding anything back. I would have liked him had he not been such a prejudice douchebag. All day long he brags about his pureness and how his father has an in with the 'Dark Lord'. Girls fawned and flocked to him. Granted, they don't do so nearly as much as they do to Drake and Zabini, but he has a nice little collection of bimbos.

But even Nott knew when to not push the boundaries. The hierarchy in Slytherin was a fascinating spectacle to watch. At the very top lay Drake, and immediately below him is Zabini. Then you have Nott and Adrian, and then you have everyone else. Anything below Nott and Adrian are just fill-ins or lackeys. They're there to serve one purpose, to be seen, and maybe intimidate a little when necessary, but not heard from. They weren't the smartest by a longshot. Slytherin isn't known very well for its possession of intelligent students.

I filled up my plate as my growling stomach grabbed my attention back to the present. My eyes flickered up as I saw Harry, Hermione, and Chuckie walk into the Great Hall as I usually do. But this time was different. There was another addition with them today that usually wasn't there. She was short and petite, very thin with a ballerina figure. She had long red hair that matched Chuckie's and I knew immediately who it was.

Chuckie's little sister, Ginny. She was a pretty girl. I can't deny her that. And majority of the boys here would agree with me. She represents everything here that the boys here would go for. Her breasts were a little on the small side, but the white uniform shirt was two sizes too small that helped her emphasize the size of her chest. Not to mention that face that he skirt was a couple inches to short, showcasing her long and lean legs. I recall Chuckie mentioning that his sister was on the Quidditch team, so that explains the leanness to her figure. Her eyes were a muddy-brown and here hair laid pin-straight down her small back.

I could admit that the girl knew how to work her assets, but when she decided to work said assets on my Green eyes, then we had a problem.

"Uh, Black? You're bending the spoon," Zabini's voice made me glance down at the metal spoon in my hand. It was bent. _Really_ bent. My anger had caused my magic to bend the spoon in an unnatural position. I released the spoon but looked back up to see Green eyes telling Icky Vicky something. She planted herself right beside him only making him scrunch his eyes up more. She lifted a hand to put it on him again when he caught it mid-air and stopped her. He talked furiously to her, and I couldn't his lips at the pace they were going but I could tell it wasn't anything pretty. Her face crumpled first, and then turned an angry shade of red before she snatched her hand back.

"A little territorial, are we?" Drake smirked at me. He didn't miss the exchange either.

"I don't like people touching what's mine," I shrugged before taking a bite of my food quickly and standing up. I brushed off my clothes and stepped away from the table.

"Where are you going?"

"To teach Icky Vicky a lesson," I only said and walked over to Green eyes' table. I ignored Drake's confusion to my reference and kept my eyes on Green eyes. As I approached the Gryffindors' table I could feel the eyes of the entire room on me.

Everyone at this point knew of Harry and I's relationship, and only the brave voiced their opinions where I could hear them, but we've kept our PDA to a bare minimum. Neither of us needed to flaunt our relationship. We knew what it was and how we felt about each other. But sometimes, you just need to put people in their places. And I am not above doing what I am about to do.

The noise in the room was nearly non-existent by the time I made my way over to Green eyes. His table was completely silent, and most eyes were on me. Ginny ha definitely noticed my approach and didn't care to hide her dissatisfaction of my appearance. Chuckie was too busy scarfing everything into his mouth while Hermione just stared in horrific disgust at him. Green eyes was still piling his plate and too busy caught in his thoughts to notice me.

I bent down and leaned into his ear to whisper to him.

"Have I ever told you how absolutely adorable you look when you're deep in thought?" I made sure that only Harry could hear me.

He jumped a little at the suddenness of my voice jarring him from his thoughts but he blushed at my comment. No matter how many times I call him cute or adorable he always manage to turn a pretty color of pink.

The question was innocent enough, but I knew exactly how we looked to everyone else. I was bent over the back of his seat and whispering in his ear smirking while he blushed and gulped. It didn't help the fact that I was playing with the dark and silky hair at the nape of his neck either. And that's precisely the way I wanted it to be.

I heard Vicky scoff and huff repeatedly beside me but I didn't acknowledge her.

"Uh, y-yes. You've mentioned it once or twice. But I wasn't that deep, was I?" He asked, not bothering to lower his voice. He had no idea of the attention on us.

Of course we knew what he was talking about, but everyone else didn't. And Green eyes' question only made people assume the worst. And the dirtiest. Naughty, naughty children. I could see Hermione in front of us blushing up to her roots as she tried to pay attention to her food. I heard a gasp beside me and my smirk widened.

"You were very deep. But don't worry. I like it even better that way. The deeper the better."

This time he turned to me and I could see that he was beginning to catch on to the double entendre. His light green eyes darkened to a dusky color that in no way diminished his attractiveness. Even made it even better. And this time he smirked. It always confused me how Green eyes had no trouble going back and forth with me like this, but turned into a blushing rose when I mentioned his adorableness.

_The boy was weird_. But he's _my_ weirdo.

"Just deeper? Or deeper and harder?" He lifted a dark eyebrow at me and I could only lift one back.

"That's just something you'll have to find out, now isn't it?"

Our eyes locked on each other and the intensity in his eyes sent a rush of heat through me. I could feel his cool breath on my face. I watched his darkened eyes sweep across my face and land on my lips.

"Excuse me, who are you? The Slytherin table is right over there, if you're lost, snake," Vicky bit at me. Harry's eyes snapped to hers and he went to say something when I put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. I motioned with my hand for him to scoot back a little and I placed myself on his lap.

I head a small grunt in my ear and sat down a little firmly with a devious smirk on my face. His hands flew to my hips where he gripped them tightly.

"Jhonny," he warned lowly in my ear. I just giggled in reply.

I turned to my left to face Icky Vicky and smiled blinked at her.

"Don't play stupid. It's not a pretty look on your face. You know exactly who I am."

I could feel the stares of everyone in the room on us at this moment. I guess it doesn't matter who you are or where you are in the world, but down the opportunity presents itself, you never give up the chance to see a good catfight.

Her falsely innocent smile faltered before she put it back in place.

"I'm afraid I don't recall ever meeting or hearing anything about you."

"Oh we've never met, thankfully, but I know you've heard of me. And I'm not trying to sound conceited or anything, but everyone in this school knows who I am. It's pretty hard to miss a new student transferring to this school. Especially one with the no-bullshit rep I have. And if you somehow managed to miss all of that, I know Green eyes have no problem of mentioning me to you when you tried to molest him a minute ago."

Her faux smile went away and her eyes narrowed.

"Fine. You want the truth? Well here it is. I've heard of you. It's kind of hard not to when you have to listen to all the guys in this school lusting after you and the girls fawning over how pretty you are. But let's get on thing settled, I was not _molesting_ Harry—that's his name, by the way. Not Green eyes. I don't know if you are aware of this, but Harry and I used to date. And I will put my hands on him whenever I see fit."

You could hear a pin drop with the lack of noise in the room. Her eyes gleamed triumphantly as though she just won. But I only smiled at her.

"_Green eyes_," I emphasized slowly, making sure caress his name with my lips. I knew I achieved the desired affect when I heard him groan beneath me. A few boys in the vicinity fidgeted in their seats as well, but my eyes were only on Vicky's. "I know about you're brief—emphasis on the brief—relationship, if you can even call it that, with _my_ man. And I admire your courage for standing up to me. I honestly do. Most don't when they know how intimidating I can be. So congratulations for that, really. I applaud you. And you're a pretty girl. I can't lie, you are. But he doesn't want you. Which is why he told you off a couple few minutes ago when you tried to put your hands on him again. And I have complete faith in Green eyes that he warned you to keep your hands to yourself because not only is he taken, but he also don't share your feelings any longer so I'll just save you further embarrassment and tell you this.

"I don't care who you are. Who your brothers are. Who your friends are. Or whoever else you know. If you step to me again like that saying the bullshit you just did, I'm gonna kick your ass. And if you ever, even think, about putting your hands on what's mine," I chuckled, "well, put it like this: I'm gonna to stuff my foot so far down your throat and through your ass, you'll be walking with three legs. Two of your own and one of mine."

The look of her bulging brown eyes and her gaping mouth was enough to satisfy me. But the raucous laughter from the Slytherin that table that was prompted by Drake, made me smile. The laughter spread over to Ravenclaw's table, to the Hufflepuff's, and reached full circle back over at the Gryffindor's table.

Vicky looked around and huffed and glared at pouted at the way everyone enjoyed my ribbing of her. She felt put out at my put down. She glared at me again and marched out of the room.

The laughter in the room finally settled before everyone returned to their own devices.

"I normally wouldn't condone such language," Hermione began as she wiped the tears from her eyes, "But she needed to hear that. Ginny's been getting out of hand lately."

"Yeah," Chuckie shrugged, "Even I can't deny that. Mom and Dad would be furious if they heard some of the things I hear about her on a daily basis. Mom still hasn't forgiven her from breaking up with Harry and ruining of her chance of getting Harry as a son-in-law.

I felt rather than saw Harry's grimace. He's told me all about the way it irks him when Molly Weasley behaves the way she does to him and puts him on this pedestal. It makes him really uncomfortable.

"Ron, please," Green eyes pleaded.

"Sorry mate."

"Whatever the case, for her sake I hope she learned her lesson."

Green eyes arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me tighter against him. He leaned over my shoulder and planted his chin there.

I reached for his plate and alternated between feeding myself and feeding him. Occasionally his hands would wander down to my hips and give them a squeeze whenever I squirmed on his lap, or up to my sides to give them a poke just to see my giggle. I would slap his hand playfully or give him a kiss on the cheek.

And we were content to be like that for the rest of dinner.

* * *

"You're not going to say anything about their inappropriate behavior, Minerva?"

"Why should I? I may be a bag of bones but I was young once. I remember how it was to be young and in love." The elder woman shrugged her shoulder delicately and continued on with her meal.

"It's disgusting."

"Oh don't you remember how it feels to be that way Severus?"

His face darkened and he glared at her.

"Oh. Well, probably not."

"If they were anyone else you would have taken away house points. You have favorites Minerva, admit it."

"I do. Just as any other professor here. Including you, Severus. We shouldn't but we do. But shall I remind you that Black is as much your student as she is mine. And while I probably do give more leniency to certain students than I should, I can't fault her for doing what she felt was necessary. The youngest Weasley has taken it upon herself to act in such a manner and Alexandria only acted accordingly."

He humphed. "I still say you all go too easy on her."

"Quit your grumbling you old bat. You just can't admit that she puts you in the mind of certain redhead that you befriended in your younger years."

"She is nothing like _her_!" He snapped.

"Beautiful, vibrant, intelligent, tenacious, loyal, outspoken, and fierce. Sure, Severus, keep telling yourself so."

* * *

"And today we will be learning about the social habits of Muggles."

I rolled my eyes at the professor teaching this class. I haven't been here all that long but it was easy to realize her biased lessons towards _muggles_. She talks about them as though they were animals to be inspected. She clearly doesn't think much of them. And she obviously isn't fit to teach these classes. Why Twinkles hired Alecto Carrow to teach such a class astounds me.

I wonder what other instructional mistakes he's made as far as unfit teachers go.

"Muggles, in these days, are becoming more and more absorbed in the devices they create. They don't delegate much time to do other activities, but rather stare at these screened objects. Muggles around your age aren't known for being well-mannered either. In the muggle world, the laws set in place allow the children and adults to run amuck. It's often chaos there."

"That's pretty hypocritical to say," I spoke. Carrow looked to me sternly.

I felt Hermione, who sat beside me, glance at me. I ignored the look she was sending and kept my eyes locked with Carrow's.

"Excuse me?"

"I said don't you think that what you just said is a bit hypocritical? You people just had a full out wizarding war not even twenty years ago, and are in the midst of one right now, no matter how much you all choose to ignore that fact. Yes, the muggle world is known for being chaotic, and rebellious, and frankly, rather stupid. But if you are going to teach a class on another society of people, make sure you know _all_ of the facts."

"All of the facts? Oh, and I suppose you feel as though you know all of the facts yourself? Hm?"

"Maybe not all of them, but a lot more than you do. You only tell us the bad aspects of being a muggle. That's not really teaching us. In all honesty, muggles, just like everyone else, magical or not, are a complicated bunch. It's kind. of hard to analyze and instruct a class on a 'type' of person. And even harder if you've never actually experienced it directly."

"You are out of line, Black!"

"I don't mean any disrespect—"

"Oh, you don't, do you? I know who you are. Snape complains about how mouthy you are all the time. You better watch that mouth of yours little girl," she pointed at me and narrowed her beady eyes and she walked closer to my desk. "Or one day that mouth of yours will get you in trouble and grab the attention of someone you don't want to have the attention of."

Was it just me, or did that sound like a threat?'

"I'm just saying, these kids here, or have been sheltered their entire lives, despite the fact that they might think so, really have no clue of the world outside of magic. If this is such a mandatory class and a need to know instruction, don't you think the best way to learn about Muggles is to actually experience and meet them?"

That statement caused a definite buzz around the class.

"Experience muggles? You mean, like, actually talking to one?" Someone asked sounded a little disturbed.

"How else would you get to know them, duh!"

"Do you think they look like us? I wonder if they speak the same language…"

"I've heard that muggles portraits don't even move."

"What's the point of that?"

"Ew! I don't want to breathe in the same air as them!"

"Silence!" Ms. Carrow bellowed across the room filled with Gryffindors and Slytherins. All the students promptly stopped their chatter and turned to face her. The enraged look on her face softened somewhat as she struggled to calm down.

"Ms. Black, your suggestion of allowing my students to mingle with the muggles is the—!"

"Most brilliant idea I've heard in a while," Twinkles voice chimed in. I turned to see Twinkles standing in the doorway peering at us. I didn't know who long he was there, and the look on Carrow's face says the same thing, but I can take a guess and say he's been standing there a while. His face was realized and his smile old and easy, but his eyes weren't twinkling as they usually did when he was cheery. Instead, those pale blue spheres were icy and menacing.

He looked back towards me. "Ms. Black, that is a wonderful idea. One simply cannot describe the taste of an orange if they have not eaten one." He smiled at me and nodded. "Granted, I would need a written notice stating that all of your parents will allow you to attend."

He looked back towards Ms. Carrow, his eyes dimming once more.

"Ms. Carrow, my office."

* * *

**So…? I am excited to be writing the next one or two chapters because our favorite Hogwarts students will be venturing out into our world. Or my world at least, New Jersey. But suffice to say, I think it is a really cool idea. I'm surprised no one has really thought of taking the Hogwarts kids on a field trip to our world.**

**Oh, and I know this chapter is a tad shorter than the ones I've wrote the last couple of times, but I had to end it here before I gave too much away. Sorry. Eh, not really. ;)**


	12. Chapter 11

**What's going on guys. So I've updated other stories and posted a couple new ones since last updating Never Let Go. Sometimes I really can't help it. But I'm back now, for good. And I will be doing better with my updating. To be completely honest, I kind of had a little trouble with how to proceed from where I left last time. However, be prepared to see more action from this point on out. (While you are waiting for me to update this check out my other stories too.) Also feel free to review and comment what you think about the story so far. I take all suggestions seriously and I just really love to get feedback. Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any other names or character associated with the series. All rights reserved to J.K. Rowling. Alexandria and any other characters are, however, mine, so hands off.**

* * *

I'm not too sure what Twinkles said to Professor Carrow but I do know I haven't seen her in a while. Not since the last class. Twinkles mentioned before that he thought a class trip to my hometown was a great idea, but I'm pretty sure he was just trying to be nice and stick up for me. I mean who would seriously willingly visit Newark, New Jersey. And I can say that because I've lived there my entire life. I reserve the right to insult however I see fit. No one else can, but I can.

But that's not what currently had me sitting in the astronomy tower. I couldn't help but think back to the last time I was here with Sirius and what he told me. Hogwarts sometimes knew things about us that we may not know ourselves. She knew that I needed to be here at the moment. Everything seems to be hitting all at once for some reason.

Green eyes have invaded all parts of my life. He's wormed his way into parts of me that I hadn't known were available to him.

_We were sitting in his room again on his bed, but this time the curtain was pulled back and Chuckie and Hermione were with us. They were comfortable at this point the way Harry and I were. I was lying down on his bed with my head in his lap as he played in my hair. Chuckie and Hermione were across from us on his bed sitting upright but in their own little worlds. _

_It was quiet between the three of us and I was shocked just how comfortable I was with them. It hadn't been that long ago that I had first run into them in Diagon Alley._

_"Is it like this all the time?" I heard myself ask. _

_"Like what?" Green eyes looked down at me and paused in his trek through my curls. They were messier than usual because of his constant running through them. I'm pretty sure it looked like a big ball of mess on my head if I were to sit up._

_"Like _this_. So peaceful and quiet and just..._normal_?" _

_That caused the three of them to burst into soft chuckles. Ron snorted and rolled his eyes for emphasis._

_"Trust me. This isn't normal for us. This is actually odd. At this point in our school year at least a thing or two have gone wrong or have given us reason for suspicion. It's odd to be here and to not have something going on." Chuckie commented laying back on his back and looking up the ceiling thoughtfully._

_"This is what it is supposed to be like for us. We're children. We shouldn't have to deal with the situations that we have. We shouldn't have been forced to grow up so fast," Hermione sighs wistfully._

_"But we have and we do. We're not just kids anymore. We're not normal kids so we don't get the luxury of living normal lives. That's just not what we were destined for," Green eyes' voice held something that made me ache inside. It made my insides twist until a pressure behind my eyes began to build up begging to be released. _

_I sat up and faced him putting on my best smile and placing a hand on his that feel out my hair when I moved._

_"That just means your special Green eyes. All of you are. At least that means that the three of you are destined for something great. And you guys should be proud of that." I turned to look at the others at that point. "Trust me, it may be hard right now. I can't try and pretend that I know what you guy have gone through and will continue to go through. But I do know that you guys can do it. I have complete faith in you. All of you."_

_It was quiet in the room once again as they processed what I just said. _

_"Us." Green eyes mumbled lowly._

_"Huh?"_

_"You said that you had complete faith in the 'you'. But you meant to say 'us'."_

_"You want me by your side as you fight? Mr. I'm-The-Hero-And-I-Shouldn't-Let-Anybody-Else-Risk-Their-Life-To-Save-Me?" I teased._

_Hermione and Ron left with Green eyes. Green eyes poked me in my side and made me squirm. He knew I hated how ticklish that I was._

_"Normally, yes I wouldn't include you in. But someone," he pointedly looked at Hermione, "reminded me that others had the right to decide what they wanted to do with their lives. If they loved me and willingly risked their life to be with me than I shouldn't try and turn them away."_

_"I'm pretty sure my exact words were 'Stop pushing everyone away, you moron. If others wanted to be here because they love you and wish to work, then let them.'" Hermione corrected them with that spirit of hers that I loved so much. She caught me looking at her with a smile on my face and blushed when I winked._

_She's adorable._

_Green eyes chuckled and rubbed the back of his head embarrassedly._

_"Yeah. It probably went a little more like that. But regardless. I mean it. Jhonny, if you want to, I want you by my side. I'm not used to asking for things, but I'm beginning to learn that it's not always a bad thing to be a little selfish sometimes and ask for what you want."_

_"So you want me?" I teased. A smirk pulling at my lips. I ignored the slight groan I heard coming from Chuckie from his side of the room._

_"Yes," Green eyes replied unashamedly. "I do. And I want you by my side. Right next to me every step of the way."_

_Green eyes has gotten a lot better when it came to opening up to me and telling me what he wanted. I noticed how comfortable he was with me now and it warmed me even more._

_I sat up and gave him a chaste peck on the lips not wanting to embarrass him._

_"I'll be right by your side holding on to your hand. Never letting go."_

_"Promise?" He whispered, lowering his voice. I watched as a bit of insecurity swam in his eyes and kissed him once more. _

_"Promise."_

Green eyes found a way to consume my thoughts in such a small amount of time. Frankly it scared me how fast we were probably moving right now. I went from wanting to punch him to wanting to kiss him breathless and cuddle him in months.

But I didn't want to be the kind of girl whose life revolves around a guy. No matter how deliciously- adorable said guy was.

Drake and Blaise and I enjoyed our time just chilling in the common room. Occasionally Pansy would join us, but she hardly ever said anything. I didn't exactly have a problem with her or anything, but she's nowhere near to being called my friend.

The other Slytherins seemed to have undergone a bit of a change. There was no more outward animosity. I knew that majority of them still did not like me or just generally feared me, but they didn't say anything aloud or try their weak attempts of intimidation. But I didn't allow myself to get too comfortable with this new behavior of my housemates. I knew it wasn't going to last. But I was prepared for anything they had planned for me.

I'm not the top of my class or anything—Hermione firmly holds that position followed closely behind a Ravenclaw, and then Drake—but I was in the top ten. I wasn't obsessive about my assignments, but I did enjoy what I've been learning here. And that's all that matters. If you enjoy what you're learning, it makes it easier to do the assignments and try your best at it.

_"So how's everything going with you and Potter?" _

_Blaise always made a point to ask me what was going on with my relationship with Green eyes. I haven't quite decided whether or not it was out of genuine interest of if he was jealous._

_I rolled my eyes._

_"Fine, Blaise. How about you and...what's-her-face?"_

_His face scrunched up in confusion. _

_"Who? Lindsay or Darlene?"_

_"I thought her name was Anne?" Drake wondered confused._

_Blaise looked even more confused and then just shrugged._

_"I don't know. But whoever it was that you were talking about, she's long gone."_

_"Have you ever thought about being in a relationship with someone?" I asked him. Blaise may act like a bit of playboy, but I could tell he desired a serious relationship. Or he would at some point._

_"I don't know. I guess. If it happens, then it happens. But I'm not looking for it or anything." Blaise shrugged again._

_Pansy rolled her baby blue eyes and flicked her shoulder length black hair over her shoulder. Drake sat beside me with a leg crossed over the other bent at the knee. Maybe it was his pureblood training, or whatever, but his leg managed to bend at a perfect 90 degree angle. Drake always moved so fluently and gracefully. A hair was never out of place and a wrinkle was never in sight. Blaise sat in the single chair that was near the fireplace rocking slightly in it. Pansy sat alone on the floor with her ankles crossed and leaned back on her hands._

_"What about you Drake?"_

_"What?"_

_He's been distracted a bit lately. His periods of blanking out have been getting more and more frequent as of late. He refuses to admit to it though. But I'll get him to confess to it sooner or later._

_I sighed and rolled my eyes at him._

_"Do you see yourself with a girlfriend any time soon? How come you don't date?"_

He never really answered when I asked him that. I don't what's been going on inside his head since them. But I wasn't the only one who noticed his newfound state of distraction. Blaise has noticed it. I've caught him looking at Drake a few times in confusion, but he never says anything. That's what makes Blaise the guy he is. He doesn't hover or badger. But I did. And I will find out what exactly is up with Drake one way or another.

But the main reason that I was sitting on this stoop right now on the balcony of the Astronomy tower staring at this hot balls of gas billions of miles away is for one reason and one reason only. The letter I received today at lunch.

_Hermione and I spent all Saturday morning in the library researching for this yard length essay for Snape. He sure had no life if he was prepared to grade 36 yard length essays. It never made sense to me when teachers would give insane assignments when they would have to grade them. Anyway, I was starving by the time lunch came around._

_"You think you found everything you'll need for-?" But I had to cut her off right there._

_"Sorry Hermione, but I can't take any more talk about this essay. My brain is fried right about now. Five straight hours of research and countless flipping through pages. I now remember more information about crap that I don't need to know because of my stupid memory."_

_She frowned at me and playfully swatted my arm._

_"Your memory isn't stupid. That eidetic memory of yours is actually quite spectacular! I'm actually pretty jealous of you."_

_I turned to her surprised. _

_"Jealous? No way. Trust me, you're better off not remembering every single thing that has ever happened to you in your life. That includes the good and the bad. And the absolutely horrific. You can't forget it. It just stays there in the back of your mind, ready, stalking you until the very perfect moment to come and disturb your life once again..."_

_Images of strong and hairy hands reaching towards me flashed behind my eyelids. I could smell the stench of alcohol on his breath as though he was right in front of me again. _

_I could feel Hermione's eyes piercing me. I hadn't meant to say all of that. I got off track. Severely off track._

_"Alexandria...?"_

_"Anyway, there's no need to be jealous of my memory. Your amazingly smart all on your own." I gave her the brightest smile that I could manage but I could tell that she saw right through me. But she didn't mention it again._

_We just talked about the details of the essay for Snape until we reached the great hall's doors where we separated. Anything to get off the subject from before and distract me. I knew that I would have to tell Green eyes someday about what happened. Or at the very least Drake, but not yet. I wasn't ready to open just yet._

_I sat in my usual spot beside across from Drake and Blaise and next to Nott. Nott doesn't really say much to me though. Not since his slip the last time. He's learned his lesson. I don't play that childish prejudice bull._

_Occasionally I'll sit with Green eyes, but most of the time I just sit here. I have all day to spend with Green eyes._

_I was so caught up in the sweet potato pie I know green eyes bribed the kitchen elves to make for me that it surprised the shit out of me when an envelope landed in front of my plate. I looked up surprised._

_"Who's it from Alex?" Drake asked. He's a nosey little brat._

_"Careful, Drake. Your Gryffindor is showing," I smirked at him making him growl at me. "Look at that, you even sound like your house mascot."_

_Blaise laughed obnoxiously at that and choked on his food. I chuckled a little before opening up the envelope and reading the letter inside._

_Dear Alexandria,_

_I hope this reaches you in good spirits. I have no idea—no. I'm pretty certain that you do not want to have anything to do with me or any of us really. But I'm not going to stop reaching out to you. I let you down once, and I don't want to make the same mistake twice. I let you go too easily the last time and I refuse to do it again.—_

_I instantly knew who it was from at that point. I rolled my eyes and prepared myself to ball it up and throw it in the trash when I looked up and made eye contact with Green eyes. I saw curiosity and concern written across his face and I sighed. I knew if he knew who it was from he would want me to at least read it. So I trudged on._

_Dumbledore tells me that you haven't asked about us since we left. And I do have to say that I am bit surprised. I figured that you would at the very least would like to find out a little about us. Maybe to find our address so that you could send us letter telling us that you want nothing to do with us. But I was pleasantly surprised when I received no such letter. Or maybe I just don't know you all that well._

_That made me snort in derision. She didn't know me at all._

_Okay, I don't know you at all. But I'm trying to rectify that. If you want to get to know me or Ted or your sister, Nymphadora, then you can mail us any time you would like. Despite how we met I would really love to get to know you. I know that we can't forget everything that i've done. I understand that I have done some very unforgivable things. But I can't help but hope that you might find it in you to care a little. Even if it's just to satisfy your curiosity about any more questions that you have, I'm open to answer anything you have prepared._

_Oh. I almost forgot that I took the liberty to find your father. If you're interested. I hadn't remembered is name before that day. But your father is-what do the muggles call it again-a basketball player? He's really big in America for his expertise in the sport. At least I think it is a sport. I'm not too well-versed in muggle sports._

_I couldn't help but to release a small chuckle. These wizards are kind of adorable in their lack of knowledge about the mugg—real world._

_His address is on the back if during your spring break you would like to meet him. I could even personally arrange It, and maybe the three of us could sit down and talk one day. Maybe? I don't know. It's all up to you really. You can bring whoever you like along with you as well. I'm hinting at Harry by the way if it wasn't clear. I'm glad that you two are together by the way. He's a fine young man despite his scarring upbringing. Sirius and Remus has told me a little about it._

_Anyway, what I really want to say was I'm sorry. It won't and can't make up for the past, but I really want to move on. Is it even possible? Or am I just holding on to false hope?_

_Sincerely, Andromeda Tonks nee Black._

And ever since, I've been here. I came here straight after lunch and I've been here ever since. I didn't know what to think about what she sent me earlier. Is it even possible for me to move on from what she did? I knew what the answer was to it. Yes.

I've moved on and accepted it a long time ago. I've forgiven her for what she did. But for some reason I was still angry. I couldn't help the anger. The anger that stemmed from how easy it was for her to give me up. The anger from how she let her husband influence her to give me up. The anger at Edward Tonks for not wanting me in his family. And even a little anger at my biological father for not doing anything about it. But I knew the last one was unfair since he didn't even know I existed.

_He didn't know that I existed._

"Jhonny?!" I heard Green eyes voice call out to me. I turned my head to see him running in the room. I stood up and walked to him. Partly because he looked about ready to pass out. He was panting and heaving and slightly sweaty.

And as attractive as he looked with his white Oxford shirt clinging to his chest and giving me a perfect view of the outline of his chest muscles, sweat was still sweat. It was icky and nasty and smelly. I like how it looks on Green eyes, but I don't want to be close enough to smell or touch it. A definite no-no for me.

"Where have you been all afternoon?! I've been looking all over this castle looking for you. You had me worried. I was scared to death that something happened to-"

"Harry!"

"Huh?" If I had a camera right then it would have been the perfect picture. Green eyes wore the perfect blend of anger, confusion, and embarrassment at his ranting. I smiled and gave him a chaste kiss.

"I have an idea." I smirked at him.

_Green eyes really didn't need to look so scared when I said that._

* * *

"Are you absolutely positive about this Ms. Back?" Twinkles peered over his spectacles at Harry and I from behind his desk.

I brought Green eyes to give me more credibility. Well, him and Hermione and Chuckie. Twinkles might not admit it out loud, but he couldn't really say no to the Golden Trio. They're his favorites.

"Of course. How can you expect these kids to actually learning anything _true _about Muggles without experiencing it firsthand."

"Headmaster if I may," Hermione said hesitantly raising her hand, "I fully agree with Alexandria. One of the biggest problems with the wizarding world, especially as of currently, is the ignorance of the Muggle culture. So many lies and half-truths about what being a muggle is really like has led to the war we're in right now. Please headmaster. At least consider It."

"The problem Ms. Granger is not that I might not consider it, but that I am actually considering on allowing this to happen. This is mad. Truly, even for me. This would spark a lot of rage in the wizarding world. And parents...I just don't know how this would be allowed. I would need permission for this..."

Twinkles began to look every bit his age...whatever that was. But he looked very old and tired at that moment. His shoulders looked heavy and his eyes were droopy. The wrinkles on his face seemed to multiply in that moment and I felt a twinge of guilt.

"How about we handle that? We can arrange a mass distribution of permission slips for parents to sign for their children to accompany us," I pitched in.

"That would solve the parent issue, but..."

"Technically, this field trip would deal would be educationally beneficial to the students interested in muggle studies—which is a mandatory course. If we made it as though this trip is a big portion of their final grade the Ministry and the Wizengamot really can not say anything about it." Green eyes contributed.

"Yeah! And besides, if they openly rejected the idea we could get Rita to write about It. And the way Skeeter twists things I'm pretty sure it would be easy to make it seem like they are a bunch of Deatheaters to the public." Chuckie chuckled.

"Not to mention this would be a very educational venture. If we can do this and at least show one of the students here who avidly and actively hate muggles and muggleborns that they are just like them, that would make a huge difference." Hermione added.

We all looked to Twinkles then. He sat back in his big comfy chair playing with his long beard and peering over his half-mooned spectacles eyes twinkling. His mouth twitched at the corners. He was amused.

"You children are a dangerous bunch." He smirked.

* * *

**I know that this chapter was bit shorter than I usually do, but I promise the next chapter is definitely going to be longer. Maybe even the longest one yet, who knows?! Hogwarts goes to New Jersey!**  
**Yikes, you guys already know something is going to happen, don't you? Not trying to give too much away, but these wizards are going to find out how us muggles really are.**

**Anyway, please review and write to me what you think so far. I really appreciate it. And while you're waiting for this slow poke to update check out my other stories. Quick to Fall has gotten a pretty good response for only being up here for two days.**


	13. AN SORRY!

**IMPORTANT A/N:**

**AS YOU CAN SEE THIS IS OT A CHAPTER AND I APOLOGIZE FOR GETTING YOUR HOPES UP BUT I JUST WANT TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW THAT I AM NOT ABANDONING THIS STORY. I WOULD NEVER DO THAT TO ANY OF MY STORIES BECAUSE THESE CHARACTERS BECOME A PART OF ME.**

**ANYWAY I JUST WANTED TO GIVE A HEADS UP THAT I WILL BE UPDATING THIS PRETTY SOON. AND I WANTED TO GIVE YOU GUYS A LITTLE SNEAK PEEK ABOUT THE NEXT CHAPTER.**

"But I don't want you there!"

And with that sentence all the anger and rage that was building up inside me left in one whoosh of air out of my body. I was struggling to bring any air back in.

By the widening of his now darkened green eyes I can tell he just realized what he said.

"Andy..."

"Fine." I calmly said.

I forced a smile and turned around heading in the direction of my dorms.

"Andy! Wait! I didn't mean it the way it sounded." His voice full of regret.

But I didn't want to listen to anymore.

"Andy please..."

**THERE YOU GO. DRAMA COMING SOON. BTW REVIEWS DON'T HURT. THEY'RE AN IMPORTANT COG IN THE IN THE UPDATING MACHINE SO SEND SOME MY WAY. THANKS AGAIN FOR FAVORIT-ING AND FOLLOWING. MEANS A LOT.**


	14. MUST READ AN

**NOT EXACTLY BAD NEWS GUYS, JUST...NOT-SO SPECTACULAR NEWS. I'M NOT GIVING UP ON THE STORY, NEVER THAT! I'D NEVER GIVE UP ON A STORY, ESPECIALLY THIS ONE SINCE IT IS MY FIRST BORN. BUT I HAVEN'T BEEN UPDATING IT RECENTLY AND I REALIZED THAT I HAD NO IDEA WHERE I WANTED TO TAKE THIS STORY. (I KNOW THE ENDING SCENE, I CAN PICTURE IT PERFECTLY IN MY HEAD)**

**I HATE TO DO THIS BUT THIS STORY WILL BE PUT ON A TEMP HIATUS WHERE IT WILL UNDERGO MAJOR CONSTRUCTION. I WILL ALSO MAKE AN OUTLINE OF THIS STORY SO THAT I PLAN OUT JUST HOW I WANT THIS STORY WILL DEVELOP.**

**I REALLY WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS WHO HAVE BEEN HERE FROM THE BEGINNING. HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR YOU GUYS AND THE GOOD REVIEWS I PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE UPLOADED ANY NEW STORIES.**

**SPEAKING OF NEW STORIES, SINCE THIS WILL BE ON A HIATUS CHECK OUT MY OTHER STORIES:**

PERFECT ACCURACY (X-Men/ Avengers – ClintxOC)

QUICK TO FALL (Avengers – PietroxOC)

THE ANASTASIA EQUATION (Harry Potter – HermionexHarry)

UNDER THE MICROSCOPE (X-Men - Logan/WolverinexOC)

**ALSO, UPCOMING STORIES:**

BEHAVIOR REPORT (Harry Potter/Avengers - BuckyxHermione)


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